Bleeding Crimson Red
by The Sacred Heart 2
Summary: Chiro has been becoming depressed lately that he begins to become suicidal. When Antauri finds out, he and the rest of the team try and help Chiro with his problem. But will Antauri be able to save Chiro or is it already too late to save his friend?
1. Prologue

Title: Bleeding Crimson Red

Rating: T ( may raise to M)

Disclaimer: I do not own the S.R.M.T.H, the characters of the show, or anything else that is part of the show.

A/N: This kind of story was inspired by a fantastic and well respected author named,**Leo's Katana-Babe **from her story **What Color Is My Life Today?** If it wasn't for her, then I wouldn't have thought this story. So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU **Leo's Katana-Babe**!

I'm going to dedicate this story for you for my inspiration from you!

**Prologue**

It was late in the night. Pass the hour eleven O'clock and close to midnight. Of course everyone was asleep in the Super Robot. All, but one. Chiro sat in the kitchen, thinking while holding a sharp object in his hands, a razer in other words. It was slightly chilly since he was only wearing a grey t-shirt and blue, flannel pants. His black hair fell over his eyes a little, but not enough to bother him to move them.

He somewhat smiled, but a sad one. The leader still didn't truly understand the circunstances that made him become so addictive to a drug that would give you pain, but release relief, grief, depression... memories... and any other category that lingered with the other words.

Chiro sighed, closing his eyes for a second before opening them back to stare at the blade that had been tainted with his very blood before. " It's either now or another whole day to wait again," he whispered to himself. He moved the blade to his exposed wrist, with scar lines indicated on it to remind him of his pass tormented drug. Gliding the blade on his wrist hard enough to draw a red line to form, the black haired boy was pleased with the results. It give a slight stinging sensation, but nothing compared to anything that Chiro had experince before his life.

He soon moved on to his next wrist and put more pressure on it, making the blade dig deeper into the fragile flesh. Even if it gave him a painful sensation, he somehow found it relaxing and peaceful in the most stressful times.

He closed his eyes, sighing from relief before feeling the numbness from his wounds take over a few minutes later. It was an odd pleasure he got from his self-inflicted cuts. He didn't know if it was the feeling of adrenaline or seeing the blood flee from his veins freely. Maybe it was both of the ideas that gave him the odd pleasure. One thing was for sure why he did it, though. It made Chiro feel alive. Yes, alive. The boy always felt like he was chained up, being pulled back whenever he tried to find his freedom through a society that showed no mercy, but pain instead. It seemed to get even worse when he became the leader of five robot monkeys. Always having to save "innocent" lives that were far from the word. It's not like he didn't like to save the people, becoming the role of the hero that they all seemed to depend on desperately, but he hated the sight of how they would all go on their normal routine again like nothing never happen. Being selfish and cruel to people all around them that it became needed substence like breathing air.

Looking at the razar with red coated on it, Chiro found a part that wasn't covered in blood and stared with angry eyes. Chiro was just disgusted by who he stared at, and that was none other then a fourteen-year-old boy. A boy that looked "innocent" like the people he had saved before, but the raven haired child knew he far from being innocent. He wasn't as pure as he use to when he came out of his mother. That probably was the only time when he was innocent. Chiro truly didn't know or remember.

His hand squeezed around the bloody blade as its sharp edges dug and tore teasingly in Chiro's pale flesh. The new cuts inside his hand began to sting, but he didn't care. Anything will do if he didn't have to stare in a face of a boy who wasn't pure or holy as people would say when he played hero.

Maybe that was- no, was the reason why Chiro cut himself. He didn't want to see the boy that had lied to his friends or always have fake smiles so to hide the very truth that was killing him down in the core. And Chiro still continued to use these tactics today so he wouldn't have anyone to know the true Chiro, the scared, pathetic Chiro.

That all feeling "alive" when cutting himself was just a lie to himself. I mean, it was probably a small percentage like one percent or so, but what he truly wanted was to get rid of the fourteen- year- old boy he was. Right now, he was just stalling time.

Stalling time before getting rid of himself... for good.

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Please review and tell me what you think. I only watched the show like once or twice so in the next chapter if I mess up in something, please tell me.

Also, in the episode "I, Chiro" (which I haven't seen but sounds great!) Does Atauiri like die? If so, how did he die and did he come back to life. I would- no, need to know this information! This is a favor that I ask all my reviewers to respond. If not, then please leave a comment. Thank you.


	2. Chapter One

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! All of you really helped me on the "I, Chiro" thing that had been making me go crazy. I now understand a little bit. thank you. And now on to chapter one.

Disclaimer: I do not own the S.R.M.T.H, the characters of the show, or anything else that is part of the show. I'm only using them in my story.

**Chapter One**

_A hand slowly trailed down a chest of a young boy, leaving a tingling sensation on the pale skin as the boy only closed his eyes as the hand seemed to roam in a place that was not at all permitted by the boy. He felt a wetness on his neck as it lingered up and down his shoulder and neck before resting upon his mouth. The thing resting on his lips moved slowly as you would a kiss. The gentleness from the gesture was kind and welcoming until the boy suddenly gasped from pain as something bit his bottom lip, hard. _

_From the small gap the boy's mouth gave, something dove inside and took control savagely as the rest of his naked body was suddenly rampaged as well from the other's body, grinding into him with pain that he would not only moan in pleasure, which the boy found disgusting, but he would moan out in pain._

_He felt something wet in his lower half with pain creating itself in the area. His eyes betrayed him as they opened up a bit to see a crimson liquid rolling down his thighs and legs like red rivers. It was none other than blood. The dark, red liquid that had been pumping itself out of him for over an half and hour now._

_Feeling sick from what he saw, the boy forced his eyes to be closed as he whimpered from a bite on his arm that had left marks. BAM! A punch to the gut gave the boy no air in his lungs for a few seconds as his eyes seemed to pop out of his sockets before he regained his breathing and closed his eyes again as his body continued to be used like a toy._

_Tears filled his closed eyes as he tried desperately to not let them out while the person on top of him kept on smacking and hitting the pale, raved haired boy for crying out in pain. But the dam that held the water in his eyes was not strong enough as he had hoped it was. The walls broke as the tears turned into rivers down the boy's face._

_SMACK! A slap was sent to the boy's face from the other with all the force the one on top could give. A yelp of pain came out of the mouth from the person on the bottom with another shortly after from another slap in the face._

_" Shut up, you whore!" hissed the one on top before grabbing the hair of the boy, pulling him in closer so the one on top could whisper menacing in his ear. His scalp was in pain from the grip his hair was in. Almost like it was peeling off his head for fun that was only the opposite for the young child._

_" You need to shut that pathetic mouth of yours, boy. You can cry after our little "session", but right now, you are my entertainment so shut that fucking mouth of yours, Chiro!"_

Chiro shot straight up in bed, shaking as cold sweat was visible on his forehead. Taking in a very shaky breath as he tried to force his body to stop shaking, the raven haired boy closed his eyes and kept them close as he got his body under control again. " It was just a nightmare. Just a stupid... nightmare."

Chiro opened his eyes and turned them to his alarm clock which read 4:23 A.M. With a groan from frustration and lack of sleep, the boy fell backwards so he was lying down again, not sitting up. He closed his eyes once more and tried to get back to sleep, but the events from his nightmare continued to keep him awake. Sighing, he opened his sapphire eyes and sat back up in bed before slowly getting out of bed.

His feet stepped on a cool surface before he proceeded in going to the living room. As he quietly made his way down the hallway so to not wake the others, he came upon the lonely and emptied room that was normally filled with noises and monkeys running around, literally. Chiro smiled at the thought as he sat down on the couch, his bare arms wrapping themselves around his body from the slight chill that washed over him. His smiled faded away, though, when his mind lingered back to the nightmare that had woken him up.

It made him feel like he was really there, feeling the taunting hand roam his body once more with the pain that came with it. The lips that tasted him seemed to burn his skin from just thinking about where they met. Chiro shivered from the haunting dream as he wished for anything to take the memory away from his mind, and only one thought came in his head: Get the razer blade.

Eagerness came suddenly from him that he jumped up, ready to zoom off to go get the blade to finish what he had started last night. Or... so he thought.

" Chiro? What are you doing up?"

Startled, Chiro got in his fighitng position to fend off an enemy that he had expected, but relaxed after finding out that it was only his Second-in-Command that had spoken to him.

"Geez, Antauri. You sure know how to scare a kid when they're not looking."

A smirk creeped on the silver monkey's face before he responded to the comment. "As I say all the time, Chiro, you should be ready for anything at _any_ time. Even when it's almost five in the morning."

The raven haired child smirked back at the comment before Antauri walked over to where he was sitting. Suddenly remembering that he wasn't wearing a long-sleeve shirt, Chiro folded his arms around his body a little tighter, trying his best to hide the slashes on his wrists as the silver monkey sat next to him.

" Are you cold?"

"Huh?"

" I asked if you are cold. You seem to be freezing yourself to death."

" Oh... uh, yeah. I guess."

" 'I guess' is not an answer that I was expecting, Chiro. It's either: yes or no."

" Well, my answer is ' I guess', so you try and figure out what it means."

Antauri gave him a look that said I'm-waiting-for-your-answer with a little annoyance mingled in there. Chiro waited for a second or two, but the look on his friend's face forced him to sigh and say:

" Fine... Yes, Antauri, I'm cold. Are you happy now?"

" With the attitude? No. Without it? Yes."

Chiro was going to make a comment on this when he was surprised to see his friend get up from the couch and walk away.

" Hey, where ya going?"

" To get you a blanket."

Then he was gone, the darkness from the hallway swallowing him up as the leader was left all by himself, to fend off the shadows that creeped up on him. The sad part was, he knew he couldn't fend them off. They were nothing more than mere shadows that make it seem like images that would haunt your dreams.

As if the word 'dream' was a bad remedy for his mind, it made him think about his nightmare again. He closed his eyes as it replayed the horrid event over, and over again. The touching... the kissing... the beating. Chiro hated it all! The frustration from the event had caused him to bring his knees to his body, wrapping his arms around his knees as he laid his forehead on the top.

He shivered slightly, but instead of the cold, Chiro shivered from fear and the reality the nightmare brought with it. " It was almost like I was there again..." the raved haired boy spoke quietly outloud.

" And where was that?"

Chiro's eyes instantly opened up as he lifted his head to see Antauri staring at him while holding a light, blue blanket in his hands. The boy didn't know what the silver monkey was thinking about since it was quite rare to find his second-in-command showing expression like his other comrades.

" How long have you been standing there?"

" For ten seconds."

" Very funny."

" I wasn't trying to be. I only gave you the time you had asked for, that's all."

Antauri jumped back up on the couch next to Chiro before handing him the blanket. The boy took it quickly while remembering again that his wrists were not covered.

" You're welcome."

"Oh, sorry, Antauri. Um... thanks for the blanket."

The silver monkey nodded at this while watching his leader snuggle up in the blanket. The boy's eyes were half way close, but he seemed to stop in mid sequence. Antauri came a little curious in his mind as he watched his friend struggle to stay awake, which seemed to bother the Second-in-Command.

" You look tired, Chiro. Why don't you get a few more hours of sleep before the others wake up."

"No..."

This sort of stunned Antauri, while making sure he didn't show it on his face, because of all people, Chiro would very much volunteer any day to get some sleep.

" And why not?"

The silver monkey didn't get an answer, but Antauri learned to be patient, and patient he was right now as he waited for his unsolved question to be answered. A few minutes passed until it turned into ten minutes, sixteen minutes, twenty minutes, thirty-three minutes, and so on. When it reached about forty minutes, Chiro sighed before turning his head to the side so he was staring at Antauri.

Their eyes locked, hiding away any emotions they carried before Chiro closed his eyes for a moment and opened them back up heavily, staring at his friend sleepily.

" Do you dream... Antauri?"

Chiro's voice was barely above a whisper that any human would have trouble hearing him, but Antauri's ears picked it up easily. What troubled him, though, was the question his leader had asked.

" It depends."

"...On what?"

Antauri watched closely as Chiro desperately tried to keep his eyes opened while the silver monkey answered him.

" If I wish to dream or not."

" What... do you mean?"

" You know that I'm fully robotic, right?"

A nod came from Chiro before Antauri continued.

" Since I no longer have a brain, I do not dream subconciously like you and the others."

" Then... how can you dream.?"

" I simply just think of a memory from the past or just start thinking about something while I regenerate. Sometimes I wish not to look at something or be in something so I just shut down and the next second it's morning. Mostly, all I do now is just meditate during the night while you and everyone else is asleep. But you seemed to disrupt me in that when I sensed you leaving your sleeping quarters."

"...Sorry."

" You have nothing to apologize for, Chiro."

" But... I feel like I have to."

" There was nothing you did wrong, though."

It was silent after this as Chiro began to be drowsy. Antauri was becoming a little concern about him not sleeping, so decided to try again to put him to bed.

" Chiro, I believe you need to go to bed. "

This time, there was no rejection as the boy only nodded in agreement as he got up slowly with Antauri by his side so he could make it to his bed without passing out.

They came to Chiro's room and opened the door, closing it in the process afterwards before heading towards the bed. Antauri tucked in Chiro as the boy laid in the cozy bed, starting to fall asleep. The silver monkey ran his metal fingers through the boy's hair before turning around and walking to the door.

"Antauri, wait."

The Second-in-Command stopped suddenly in his tracks before looking back towards his leader, seeing the sapphire eyes staring at him with such a pleading look.

"Yes?" Antauri asked as he waited for the other to speak.

" Will you sleep... with me tonight?"

The silver monkey arched one of his eyes.

" _Sleep_ with you? I hope you aren't referring to what I think you are."

" And... what's that?"

Antauri paused for a moment, wondering if he really should answer or not, but came to the conclusion that it would be for the best if he did answer him so the other could understand what he meant, but in a simple way.

" Sex."

Silence claimed the room as Chiro seemed to be fully awake now, gapping as Antauri folded his arms while staring curiously at his leader. The silver monkey found it almost funny at the look that was given by Chiro. He couldn't help himself, but smirk at the little comment he gave to get the look from his friend.

"Antauri, I-I didn't really mean it that way. I mean, I might have sounded like it, but I don't want to... well... you know. And besides, you really couldn't do anything if you really wanted to-"

"_Excuse_ me?"

" I-I didn't mean that either! I mean- God... why did I even speak in the first place... You know what, just forget what I said, okay Antauri?"

Antauri became concern at what Chiro said at the end, but decided not to say anything about it... for now.

Chiro had turned on his other side so he was facing the wall, not Antauri. He knew the silver monkey was still in the room because after a few moments, his friend spoke up to ask him a question.

" Chiro, why were up early this morning?"

The boy didn't want to tell the sterling, silver monkey why he woke up, but knew Antauri wouldn't leave without an explanation. Chiro decided to give him an answer, but not the whole truth that came with it, of course.

"...I... had a bad dream."

" A nightmare, in other words, right?"

" Yes."

" Do you wish to talk about it?"

"...No."

Antauri heard his friend hesitate before answering his question and this made him wonder how bad this dream really was. He began to walk over to his friend's bed and stood at its side with Chiro's back towards him.

"Chiro?"

No answer came from the boy, but this didn't fool the spiritual monkey one bit.

"Do you want me to stay with you until you go back to sleep?"

This sort of startled Chiro when he heard the question, causing him to turn over on his other side to see Antauri. Blue eyes locked with light blue again for the second time that morning, but only one of the two let their wall that covered emotion break for a moment. And that was none other then Chiro.

Pain revealed itself to the silver monkey as he tried to see what other feelings the leader had. But Antauri didn't have enough time to catch any other glimpses of what lied inside his leader when Chiro rebuilt his fallen wall, quickly. Instead, he got an answer:

"I... would like that."

A smile creeped up on the Second-in-Command's face. He lifted his right hand a little as it began to have a purple glow around it. The next instant, a chair from the room had floated over right next to the bed. Antauri's hand no longer held the glowing purple as it had presently before he sat in the chair.

" Now go to sleep, Chiro."

The boy stared at his friend, almost confused about something as the silver monkey watched him show that, but began to dose off until his eyelids fully closed, his body relaxing to the comfort of his mattress and the warmth from the sheets that covered him up.

There was a reason why Chiro was confused and that was the decision he made. Why did he ask Antauri to stay with him? Why didn't he just go to sleep without having to say anything? Was he scared to be alone? The last question made him see that maybe he was scared. Frighten of the dream world that no longer gave him peace and happiness that he once seeked for. Instead, it gave him pain, horrors, and memories that he had tried to run from by cutting himself and running away.

Yes, running away was the first thing that he had done to try and _get_ away from the horrid place that only resembled nothing more but a place for a massacre. Yet, even if he had ran away once upon a time ago, his memories wouldn't let him forget the horrors and "things" that had happened at that place.

So he knew now why he asked Antauri to stay with him and why he said "yes" to him when the silver monkey asked to stay with him. Because he was scared, scared of the nightmares that will haunt him and his dreams for the rest of his life. The very same reason caused him to ask the next question while his eyes were still closed from exhaustion:

" Antauri, will you be here when I wake up? By my bed?

This surprised the monkey after being asked, but only gave a small smile before saying:

"Of course."

The silver monkey barely had to guide his hand over to the child before he was gently stroking Chiro's hair in a loving way. This made the boy sigh from relief as a small smile creeped on his face afterwards. It was only for a few moments the smile was plastered on the child's face before it disappeared.

Antauri knew Chiro had fallen asleep, but continued stroking his hair anyway. He began to think back to the hesitation his friend gave when he asked about the other's dream. The silver monkey had been sensing that something had been wrong with the fourteen-year-old boy for a while now whenever he mediated during the night. Sensing the child not in his room until it was past midnight, which Antauri began to get suspicious with.

What is it that keeps Chiro up at night for so long? The question had been floating through his mind for about two months now. It might sound like a rather long time, but to Antauri, it was just more time for him to ponder on the situation that had been bothering him like a fly would. Buzzing around until you had no choice but to swing at the unholy insect to try and kill it. Right now, the "fly" was still bussing around until Antauri took a swing.

But Antauri would not dare swing until he had no choice. He would allow someone else to do the action for now, and the person who he was hoping to do the job was Chiro. The monkey knew that if he could somehow persuade the boy to tell him what has happened would be bettering than trying to force the child to tell. No, the Second-in-Command never liked to force anyone, but knew if all else fails, he would have no choice.

Yet, it wouldn't be easy. He could already feel the strength of something digging its way up to the surface as the tip of the leaves are trying its best to get to the top. This... this dark _energy_ just barely began to tell what kind of distasteful plant it was to Antauri, and he didn't like it one bit because...

Because it was an evil that he wasn't familiar with, and right now, he was just waiting for the weed to break free so he could uproot it once it was out.

But right now he couldn't do anything, and everyone knows that you can't kill a weed until it showed its full potential like a flower would.

The sad part was, Antauri couldn't help Chiro until the problem was at its full potential.

Now the question changed in the wise, silver monkey's mind as he contemplated with the evidence he held captured in his memory bank:

How long will it be until the weed was fully revealed?

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I didn't really find this chapter that good and catchy as the prologue for some reason, but I did try and get some humor in there with the time and "sleep" situation. Boy! I bit all of you guys were so surprised at Antauri when he said "sex" like it was the most normal thing in the world. Also I saw pt.1 and pt.2 of "Savage Lands". What an awesome episode! I thought Chiro looked pretty cool in his first monkey form, in my opnion.

And to see the dedication and love he had towards his close friend made me think " Wow! Now that's the kind of leader and friend that anyone would want."

Anyway, I hope no one flames because that would just suck, but if you do then I will just take them and _really _flame them, ok? Ok!

Well, please read and review. Thank you.

Also, if I didn't "reply" to you, can you tell me? I know I reply to some of your guys reviews, but I forgot who I didn't so can you please tell me if you are one of the people who didn't get reviewed? Thanks.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Thank you for the reviews and now for chapter two.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hyperforce or anything but my own plotline and anything else that is original that belongs to me.

**Chapter Two**

****Antauri was sitting in the chair since earlier that morning, meditating while next to Chiro. He heard his teammates already out of bed and running down to get some breakfast, suspecting that the food had been already prepared. The silver monkey mentally smiled to himself since he knew there was no meal waiting at the table because it was Antauri himself who would serve the meals mostly. Especially when it comes to breakfast, considering that he is the first one up, but for this morning, he wasn't the first one up.

Chiro was.

This made Antauri ponder on more about the nightmare the boy had experienced. So much pain he felt earlier when Chiro woke up, almost like a silent scream that wanted to be heard but was lost in fright instead. This wasn't the first time Antauri had sensed this. Almost every night now, when he is meditating and not regenerating, he always felt the boy wake up in the early hours with the same results like this morning but never would Chiro get out of bed. This was something new in the behaivors the spiritual monkey had witnessed. Normally, the boy would just stay in bed for a few hours before getting out of bed when the others were awake.

Suddenly, the Second-in-Command's mind drifted off to remembering the odd behaivors his leader began to show two months ago. The first sign didn't seem so odd, but now that Antauri thought about it, maybe it was... just a little.

**_Flashback_**

_"Hey, Chiro!"_

_"...What?"_

_"Do you want to play with me the new video game I just bought? It's that new game called "Jak X". You've been dying to play it ever since you saw it in Game Informer last year, weren't you?_

_"I guess..."_

_"What's wrong, kid? Usually you would be begging me to let you play it."_

_"Sorry, Sparks. I guess I don't feel like playing it."_

_Antauri watched while floating in the air, seeing Chiro walk out of the Super Robot with his hands in his pocket. He felt someone watching him and turned to see only Sparks with eyes that resembled only too much of being disappointed and hurt. _

_" Don't worry," Antauri reassured, " Chiro probably needs a little bit of fresh air, that's all."_

_A sigh escaped from the reddish monkey before saying, " Yeah, I guess your right." The silver monkey gave only a quick show of sympathy for his friend before returning to his normal, collective self._

_" I just don't get it," Sparks began to say as Antauri closed his blue eyes once more to begin to meditate. " Chiro hasn't been in the mood to play video games for over two weeks now. What's up with him?"_

_**End of Flashback**_

It might have been nothing, but the silver monkey still considered it as a change in his friend. Then, after about three weeks without seeing or hearing the boy play any video games, Antauri began to notice that Chiro would try to distance himself from the others. Whenever Chiro got home from school, he would usually go to his room and stay in there until it was dinner time. This had begun to worry the others, which led to them asking him if anything had happened at school or something. Antauri decided to ask at the first sign of it since he was beginning to get worried himself, but all he would get from the boy was _"I'm fine, really" _or _"Nothing's wrong"_.

They soon stopped asking, though, thinking that it was something that teenage boys went through, but Antauri was still suspicious with the situation. He began to watch surreptitiously how Chiro acted without the others knowing. It was really easy to do since he was very noiseless and kept to himself most of the time, making it much easier for him to watch with no one expecting him to do so.

Then, it got complicated. The first week of this month made Antauri get fully alert with his leader. He noticed Chiro was getting a little skinner; eating less at dinner. Only two weeks ago did questions begin to rise at the dinner table.

**_Flashback_**

_****Everyone digged in the lagsana that their spirtual leader salvaged over for two hours that day. Otto already made a mess, and Gibson was having to wipe himself every two seconds from sitting by the messy monkey. Sparks was already on his second piece (unlike Otto who was on his fourth) while Nova and Antauri ate with manners that the others never seemed to learn it looked liked._

_Chiro, though, barely touched the main course. Antauri watched as the boy played with his food a little bit; taking a bite every now and then, his elbow propped up on the table as he laid his head on his hand._

_" Do you not like what I made, Chiro?"_

_This seemed to startle the boy from what he must have been thinking about while everyone else stopped eating at the question being asked. Chiro averted his eyes away from his food to stare at the sterling monkey across the table._

_" No, I like it," the child answered before taking a small bite from the portion._

_" Well, you don't look like you do. Are you not feeling well? Do you want Gibson to check your temperture?"_

_" I'm not sick, Antauri."_

_" Then, what is wrong?"_

_" I'm just not hungry."_

_The monkeys gave a few glances at each other before staring back at their leader. " Chiro?" Otto said to get the boy's attention. The black hair boy turned to meet the green monkey's concerned gaze. _

_" Yes?"_

_" Well... umm... I'm just kind of getting worried, buddy."_

_" About what?"_

_" Ah... well-"_

_"-About you not eating anymore!" Interrupted Sparks. Everyone stared at the outburst red monkey. _

_Chiro frowned at him before repeating what he had just said earlier._

_" Sparks, I'm eating, but I'm just not hungry."_

_" For how long? A day? Week? Maybe a month or two?" The monkey's tone of voice began to rise in volume. _

_" Geez, Sparks. What's wrong with you today?" Chiro asked with a bit of irritation hinted in his voice._

_" What's wrong with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me. You and going enerestic, that's what! This whole shit has been driving everyone insane!"_

_" Sparks, language," Antauri said sharply to his brother. Sparks relaxed after a few moments before muttering sorry to his sibling. The red monkey sighed, though, before speaking once again but in a more repose voice._

_" Kid, it's just that everyone has been a little worried about you and your health lately."_

_Chiro gazed at his friend with unread eyes before saying, " I'm not sick."_

_" Are you sure about that?" _

_There was silence at this as Chiro looked down at his plate. Antauri watched before speaking._

_" Chiro," he began to get the boy's attention. The fourteen-year-old looked up with his sapphire eyes to stare in crystal, blue eyes of his mentor. " It would really mean a lot to us if you at least got your temperature checked."_

_" But I'm not sick."_

_" We don't know that for sure. Since you do not have a appetite like you had before, we are only assuming that you are not feeling well."_

_" But I'm not sick. Why do you all think I am?"_

_" Because we are just worried."_

_" Worried about what? Because I'm not eating a lot at dinner? Didn't any of you think that maybe I ate before dinner?"_

_A few glances from Antauri's sibling to almost agree with this suggestion was at work, except for Antauri himself. He only continued to stare at Chiro with a frown upon his face before saying:_

_" I don't believe you."_

_Chiro locked his eyes with the silver monkey's; almost challenging a little before saying, " You worry too much."_

_" Do I? Or are you just being irresponsible?"_

_" I'm not irresponsible," Chiro argured._

_" Then let Gibson take your temperature."_

_" But I'm not sick."_

_" Why are fighting with me to not check your temperature?"_

_" I am not fighting!"_

_" You sure do act like it in a childish way."_

_" I am not being childish!"_

_" Then stop your bickering, young man, and let Gibson check your temperature after dinner."_

_" But I'm not sick! Why don't you believe me?"_

_" I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm just-"_

_" - Worried?" Chiro interrupted._

_" Yes, so can you just cooperate a little bit since none of us want to fuss over this ordeal anymore?"_

_Chiro glared for a moment before relaxing his stare to a defeated one. He sighed before responding to the question with a more pacific and tired attitude._

_" Fine... but I'm really not hungry so can I go to my room to finish my homework?"_

_Antauri pondered for a moment on the question while summoning up the amount of food the boy had eaten so far. " **Maybe he really isn't hungry**, " Antauri thought. "**But I'm still worried about him**."_

_" Alright, I will let you go but only on one condition," the silver monkey made sure the child was paying attention before continuing. He knew his siblings were watching him carefully to make sure he would say the right thing. " You need to have your temperature checked after we are finished before coming back down here to finish your dinner."_

_Chiro sighed before nodding at the agreement. "Alright. Now can I go?"_

_Antauri nodded to this while watching his student-in-training get up from his chair across the table and walk to his bedroom._

_**End of Flashback**_

****The good news, though, was that Antauri and the others found out that Chiro wasn't sick at all. The bad news was that Chiro didn't even finish half his dinner. Maybe a quater but that was about it for the teen. _" Pity,"_ he thought. "_ I made that gormet especially for him." _He remembered how his teammates were not at all pleased with the food situation. It took them a week to stop there questioning when Chiro finally answered them.

**_Flashback_**

_****" It's about a girl! There! Are you happy?"_

_Everyone's eyes widened at the answer from Sparks's never-ending questions. Glances were given to each other before it was Nova who spoke this time._

_" Why didn't you tell us? We were all so worried about you."_

_" Er... I felt... stupid- I mean, embarrassed. Yes, embarrassed."_

_" Are you sure, Chiro? You aren't lying to us, right?" Antauri asked suspiciously._

_Chiro locked his eyes with the silver monkey. Nothing showed in the eyes that hinted any good or bad signs from them. Only the ocean blue seemed to reflect in them with a mystery that no one could solve by him or her self._

_ " I'm not lying, Antauri. I can promise you that."_

_**End of Flashback**_

After the answer had been given, Antauri's siblings basically went back to their original routine while telling Chiro that a " girl wasn't as worth as a boy's stomach". Then again, that was what Sparks had told the teen.

Yes, everything was pretty normal, except for Chiro. Antauri still noticed him not playing any video games and eating less than he should be. There had been a couple of times when the sterling monkey would talk to him alone about it. Still, Chiro would give the same answer over and over again.

" _ I just want this girl to like me."_

Soon, Antauri gave up and thought that maybe it's a teenage phase or something. Just when he was going to get comfortable with the change that he relunctantly had to stop thinking how bad it was, he was given a new behavior when one night he felt his leader's energy, while mediatating, in the kitchen. The silver monkey decided to check what has made his friend stay up so late.

**_Flashback_**

_****" Chiro?" Antauri asked quietly in the kitchen. The lights were very dim in the area, which made it hard for the monkey to see. It took him a minute to get his eyes adjusted to the less light in the room._

_" Who's there?" the boy asked alerted. There was a tiny movement that Antauri almost missed -almost._

_" Relax, Chiro. It is only me, Antauri."_

_" Oh."_

_The second-in-command walked over to the table by remembering how it looked in the light before asking, " Why are you not in bed, Chiro? It is almost midnight and you have school tomorrow."_

_" Um... Well, it's..."_

_" 'It's what?"_

_" I'm... thirsty."_

_" Thirsty?"_

_" Yes, thirsty."_

_" Then, have you gotten something to drink already?"_

_" No."_

_" Why not?"_

_Chiro paused like he was almost thinking. " Well... umm... I don't know... what to drink."_

_" You don't know what to drink?" Antauri asked while basically repeating everything that the boy had just said._

_" Yes."_

_" Did you ever think of having water? Or a nice glass of warm milk?"_

_" No..."_

_" Would you like any of those?"_

_" Um... yes."_

_" Which one?"_

_" Water... please."_

_Antauri walked over to the cupboards, his feet clanking on the ground so very softly. He made himself hover in the air to reach the cupboards on the top. The silver monkey took out a glass cup from the metal cupboards while concentrataing on the faucet to turn its knob. _

_Water was heard from the faucet in a quiet pattern as Antauri hovered to the sink to fill the cup with refreshing, cold water. After filling it halfway, Antauri placed himself back on the ground before walking over to Chiro, handing him the drink._

_" Is that all you wanted?"_

_" Yes," Chiro answered._

_" Good. Now, after you finish drinking your water, I want you to go straight to bed. I don' t want you to be late for school tomorrow."_

_He began to walk away before saying over his shoulder, " Goodnight, Chiro."_

_" Goodnight, Antauri."_

_Then the sterling monkey left his leader all by himself._

_**End of Flashback**_

****Ever since that night, Antauri felt Chiro's energy being in the kitchen at the dead of night, and everytime he did, Antauri would go out there to give him a glass of water before sending him to bed. He did the same thing last night at midnight: Got up from meditating, gave him his water, and sent him to bed. It almost seemed mutual to him... Almost.

After the usual routine, he once again felt Chiro out of bed early this morning. This was the first for the child as it made the spiritual monkey get suspicious from this new behaivor. Then, he got more quizzical and concern from the question Chiro had asked him.

_" Do you dream... Antauri?"_

Of course it caught him off guard but the way Chiro said it to him was very different. Almost... depressing? Was that the word? Was it depression he heard to his ears? Antauri thought for a moment about it but truly didn't know if that was what he heard or not. Yet, the silver monkey was still suspicious about why he was asked such a question. Did it have to deal with the nightmare the boy had that morning?

Antauri had been beginning to be troubled by these wake ups in the nights from Chiro. Yet, he didn't know if he should confront the boy what kind of dreams he had sensed this morning and the other days or... wait until the child tells him. The first option was starting to be quite tempting right about now.

Movement was heard next to Antauri before he turned his head a little to see Chiro waking up. The boy's eyes fluttered open to reveal sapphire eyes, sleeply looking around his room before looking up to meet his mentor's gaze on him. Something past by the boy's eyes. Was it confusion?

" Good morning."

A pause, then, " You stayed?"

A small smile crept on the monkey's face before he responded. " You asked me to stay with you, Chiro. I made sure I did; no matter what."

Chiro didn't say anything nor did he smile at what had been told to him. The teenager only stared solemnly at Antauri like he was thinking of something. Antauri didn't seem to mind since he turned his head to look forward again before closing his eyes; his body in a lotus postion with his hands on his knees.

As Antauri meditated, Chiro continued to stare at him. The silver monkey sensed this but didn't do anything. He was curious, though, to why the boy had been gazinga at him since he had woken up. Was Chiro surprised that Antauri was waiting there for him to wake up like he had asked? Probably, but the sterling monkey didn't know if he should believe this to be the answer.

" Hey! Where's my breakfast?" yelled someone in the kitchen who sounded all to familiar to the spiritual monkey's ears, and that someone was name Sprx-77. Mentally, Antauri smiled while hearing more voices joining him. _"My siblings are not going to be so happy with me,"_ he thought.

Soon, yelling and threats could be heard coming out of the red monkey while the others were trying to get him relaxed.

" You didn't make breakfast?" Chiro asked quietly.

Antauri nodded. " Like I said: No matter what."

" I know. I heard you, but still... You should have made breakfast for the others."

" As I said before, Chiro, you asked me to stay when you awoke, and besides, " he opened his eyes before turning to his friend, " I think you really wanted me to stay."

Chiro only stared with a look that gave off both an innocent and plaintive face. His eyes couldn't be read except the small bags under his eyes told that he hadn't slept much in a few days. " Why would you think that?" the boy asked bluntly.

" Because you were up at an hour that would never be suitable for you."

" So? I've been up at that time before."

" I know, but this was different. You told me that you had a nightmare and from what had happened earlier, I can see that it was a dream that you wish to never... experience again."

" I've had nightmares before. How is this any different from other ones I've had?"

"Because you've asked me a question that has me concern ."

Chiro didn't say anything at this, but only averted his eyes to look at the ground. He looked almost frustrated about something as he bit his lower lip from thinking. Antauri watched with a little curiousity and suspicion growing even more intense before asking:

" Do you remember what you asked me?"

"... Yes."

" May I ask why?"

The boy looked up at this time to his mentor with eyes that were unable to be read, but had hints of sorrow that were barely visible. Antauri suddenly became concern as he waited patiently for an answer.

"... I was just... curious."

" I see... but why exactly?"

"... I can't answer that."

" Why not?"

" 'Cause I'm not ready to say yet."

Chiro suddenly turned his body over to his side so his back was facing the spiritual monkey. Antauri mentally read over what he had collected in his mind so far. Nothing seemed to make sense except more suspicion and concern was added further in his mind. Yet, he wanted to ask more question for further information but didn't want to pressure the boy. Even if temptation all ready won over him once today for asking about the nightmare, and still will later on.

So, Antauri decided to leave the questions there for now. He would pick them up either later today or tomorrow while contemplating on any possible answers for seeing Chiro in the state he was in right now.

Before Antauri could think or say anything else, Chiro's voice spoke to him quietly.

" Can I please be left alone for now, Antauri." It wasn't a question, but an order. " I'll be down for breakfast in a hour or so, but right now... I just want to... get some rest."

The second-in-command nodded at this before getting off the chair he was cross-legged in. He walked over to the door, turning the cool door knob to open it. Before Antauri left, though, his deep voice suddenly spoke over his shoulder so the child could hear him.

"... I'm always here to listen, Chiro. Always."

Then he left; leaving to go to deal with the situation in the kitchen. Chiro closed his eyes for a moment to ponder on what had just happened before opening them back up to the horrific reality as he knows it. The teenager sat up so he could look at his pallid arms and wrists.

Chiro slowly lifted up his hands to stare at the "art" he had created on his pale skin. Each scar and red line on his wrist always showed a little bit of his pain he must suffer with now. Of course the cuts on his wrist were merely scratches, but up his arms... now that was something.

He physical tried to give his forearms the full blast of his shame and pain; causing the slashes to go deeper and bleed heavily when he made them go vertical ( and sometimes horizantal) on his arm.. Yet, he made sure he washed them up and stop there pouring before Antauri came to send him to bed.

At the display, he smirked a little from the punishment that he put upon himself; the pleasureable punishment. Yet, that smirk disappeared when he thought about his father figure. It was no doubt that he loved him very much, but he had to continue to do his slow killing. It was the only way for him to escape from the hell that seemed to happen all over again; only over a short period of two months.

_" I can't take it anymore," _he thought. _" Even if it didn't get as far as he wanted, I don't want him to get his chance again. Ever."_

Chiro sat there for a few minutes, dwelling on the day about two months ago in his mind. Bothered with the joy of life and his innocence that was taken from him abruptly, the hyperforce leader forced himself to get out of bed and get dressed so he could put on his fake face and say his lying words once again for a new day.

Question is: Can he pull it off once more with no suspicion from anyone? Even Antauri?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Finally, I finished this chapter. I had changed the ending at least five times or something for this chapter, but I think I got it right. Though, I feel like there is more quantity than quaility in this chapter. But it would be nice to see what all of your opinions are for this chapter with the quantity and quailty stuff. What better way to know than your readers and reviewers?

Well, review please! Thanks.


	4. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hyperforce or anything but my own plotline and anything else that is original that belongs to me.

Chapter Three

The smell of bacon and other substances invaded Chiro's nostrils as he walked in the kitchen wearing the apparel he had chosen today; a black long-sleeve shirt with dark blue jeans on.

Chiro looked over where the stove was in the kitchen to see Antauri hovered in the air as the monkey used his telekinesis to cook the scrabble eggs with the floating spatula; flipping the pancakes with another spatula while placing them on a plate; changing the bacon back and forth on its front and back as it sizzled with grease. Never once did the second-in-command use his hands. The boy still wondered how his trainer could do this without breaking a sweat.

The raven haired child looked over to the table and saw the rest of his teammates waiting as patiently as they could without drooling -the whole time.

As the teenager sat in one of the chairs at the table, the smell of breakfast was too overwhelming for him as his stomach churned in disgust. Chiro placed his arms on the table before laying his head down on it to block out the thought of vomiting there and then.

" Chiro, are you okay?"

Nova. The leader could have reconized that voice anywhere just like the others vocal sounds. He lifted his a head a little to stare in her pink eyes.

" I'm just a little tired."

Chiro forced himself to give off a small smile to reassure her that he was fine. She seemed satisfied with the answer as she smiled back to him. After he saw her turn to talk to Otto about saying something about the weather, he laid his head back down on his covered arms again. Suddenly, he heard Sprx-77 speak up.

" Hey, Antauri! Are you done yet?"

" Almost."

" When's 'almost'?"

" Sparks, you should really be patient with these things. If I hurry up in the process of cooking, I would not get the dish that I wanted to give you perfect."

" Okay... but are you done now?"

" No."

" Now?"

" No."

" Now?"

" Yes."

" Really?"

" No."

Sprx-77 sighed from frustration as he gave up on asking. He crossed his arms with a pouting face on before he too closed his eyes like Chiro's; muttering that no one liked Antauri's cooking anyway while secretly counting every second for his brother to say " breakfast is ready".

Chiro on the other hand was not so famished or impatient about eating. If it was his own choice, he would have stayed in bed or left somewhere to be alone so he could... think. Yes, think. The teenager had been contemplating about a lot of things these days. Mostly about his past that he had tried his best to forget.

The beatings... the screams... the touching... and-

" Breakfast is ready," announced Antauri as he set the table in only a matter of seconds before mentally placing the meals in the middle of the table. He sat in his usual seat before looking up to see his siblings staring up at him for approval to dig in. The spiritual monkey nodded at the silent, pleading question before picking up his fork and taking his first bite.

It was amazing how Antauri could still eat as if he was still half organic and half machine (except he could only eat two cups of food a day if he wished to eat so he won't over work his systems, but he is suppose to at least have a cup of something to drink a day so he won't get dehydrated). He was very thankful for his creator to be so gifted in the scientific world that they all believed Gibson had been blessed to inherit the genius mind of the Alchemist. The silver monkey could not believe that he could still do most of the same things that he used to do like eating, drinking, smelling, tasting, and sleeping ( but in his own way). The only thing that was different was that he didn't have to go to the bathroom anymore or breathe. He was built with an artificial acid that melted down any food or drink so it could become his "blood" cells in his body as Gibson put it for him. With his breathing, it is a habit for him to act like he is accepting air before giving it back. Truth be told, he really didn't breathe anymore but if he wished to blow air, his mind would simply think that he was a squeeze toy that let out air.

The second-in-command licked his lips with his light, pink tongue to get the rest of the taste from his lips. Antauri was still astonished by the advance technology he had recieved. Still to this day after being brought back to life, Antauri would sometimes forget that his lips and tongue were not his real lips and tongue like before, but fake.

"... and then I saw the guy get pushed into the lake by his dog! His DOG!" Otto busted up in laughter after hearing Sparks tell him what he had seen earlier that day. Antauri only heard the last part and smiled a little at the humor. Everyone seemed to be talkative and jubilant at the table. It only lasted for a few minutes, though, when Antauri saw Chiro with his plate empty and his head laying on his arms.

" Chiro, are you okay?"

Without looking up, the boy answered his question to his mentor. " Yeah, I'm okay."

" Well, you certainly don't look it. Are you still tired?"

" I don't know anymore..."

Antauri furrowed his brow at this. Without warning, he suddenly got up from his seat and walked over to the raven haired child. Placing his metallic fingers on the teen's cheek, the sterling monkey checked to see if the boy was hot or not.

Chiro slighty flinched at the cold touch but did not open his eyes. He still felt nausa from the smell of breakfast and the hearing of chewing and crunching. Antauri didn't miss the movement at all.

" Hmmm... you're kind of warm. Maybe it would be best if I took you to med bay."

" But I don't feel sick."

" Don't argue with me, just do it."

Chiro didn't even try to protest this time but got up and began to walk to med bay with Antauri in tow. The second-in-command looked back to his siblings before saying, "I'll be back in a minute. You four just finish your breakfast."

The four monkeys, who had been watching the whole time, nodded slowly before finishing the last of their meal.

When they entered their little "hospital", Antauri helped the boy on one of the beds before sitting right next to him on the same med bed.

" There now... Don't you feel better laying down?"

Chiro didn't even say anything but barely nodded his head in response. Antauri reached over with his hand and slowly ran his fingers through the boy's hair. He knew the child liked it since the teen sighed from being well-content at the moment.

"Now, I want you to just rest here while I get Gibson to ask him to check your temperature. If you start to feel sick, just call one of us."

After telling this to his leader, Antauri stopped running his fingers through Chiro's hair and began to hover in the air. He made his way out the door and to the living room where everyone else was.

The first to see him come in was Nova. She quickly made her way to get to him with the others following pursuit before asking, " Is he okay?"

" I truly don't know. That's why I wanted to ask Gibson if he could go and check his temperature."

Antauri turned his head to stare at the blue monkey. Mr. Hal Gibson answered the silent question that was being asked by his brother." Where is he?"

" He's resting now in med bay."

" I'll go check on him right now, then."

The spiritual monkey nodded at the answer he had recieved. The four siblings watched as the doctor monkey left to achieve his supplies before Antauri brought everyone's attention back to him by acting like he was clearing his throat.

" Now, while Gibson checks on Chiro, let us clean up in the kitchen."

Chiro heard someone enter med bay. He slowly opened his azury eyes before searching for any movements near him. The teenager was soon greeted by Gibson on his side; shaking a small thin, white stick that was none other than a thermometer.

" Are you feeling all right, Chiro?- Sit up for me please. Good boy... Here. Open up and stick this in under your tongue."

"I think so- ibhim" Chiro made almost a mouthful kind of noise with the instrument in his mouth suddenly.

" Stop your chattering for a moment and just let the thermometer do its job."

The boy watched as the blue monkey walked over to one of his tables to pick up something that looked like it squeezed your arm. He soon began to worry about the situation that he was in.

He heard Gibson humming softly to himself while walking back over to the boy. It was a soft and quiet melody. Almost sounded like one of the Beatles songs from the planet Earth, actually. Like the one called... "Lonely People"... Yes, Chiro believed that was what he was hearing.

" I believe it has been over a minute already. " The monkey reached up with his hand and took out the thermometer in Chiro's mouth. While he read it over, he began to rub his chin.

" Hmmm... It looks like you have a little bit of a fever, but nothing more than mortrine couldn't handle."

Gibson placed the object he had been holding in his hands next to Chiro before going to a cabinet near his tables where he kept allergy and common cold medicine for everyone- especially Chiro. The blue monkey opened it up and took out a small bottle of orange liquid with a miniture measuring cup that helped give the right amount of dosage and a small water bottle.

" Here we go..." Gibson mummured to himself as he came back to Chiro, reading the directions on the small container of medicine before opening it up and pouring some of the liquid in the tiny measuring cup after placing the water bottle on the bed. " Okay... It says here that you have to take two table spoons every four hours. Now, open your mouth and swallow this. Just... open... Chiro... stop moving!"

The boy had been tossing his head back and forth with his mouth clamp shut while Gibson tried to feed the boy his dosage. The blue monkey began to get very annoyed now of his leader's childish acts.

" Chiro... don't make me... force you..." The scientist of the five monkeys sighed after giving up his futile attempts of success. In a short second, though, a idea came in his motivated mind. Without saying anything, Gibson walked back over to his table, picking up something that resembled a lot like a remote control. By now, Chiro stopped his tossing when noticing his friend leaving him alone. When his eyes caught sight of the object in Gibson's hands with a big, red button visibly shone on it, the boy's eyes widened in fear.

Gibson caught this eye gesture and lifted his hand a little in the air, waving the remote control.

" Are you going to be a good boy and take your medicine now, Chiro?"

Reluctantly, Chiro nodded. Hal Gibson came back to the table before putting the cup to the boy's lips, who opened his mouth enough to drink down the gagging nictorine taste that tasted rotten on the child's taste buds.

" There... all gone. Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Chiro grabbed the water bottle, screwed off the cap, and took a big swing before answering his comrade.

" You weren't the one taking it."

" No, but it couldn't have tasted that bad."

" How about I stuff some of that crap down your throat. Then we'll see if it's bad or not."

" My goodness! You shouldn't say such language, Chiro. I should wash your mouth with soap for saying that... Anyway, you should stop fussing because I need to check your blood pressure. Don't want to get the wrong pressure from any stress in you, eh? Well, we don't have all day so pull up your sleeve and let me put this on you."

As Gibson grabbed the instrument for knowing the child's blood pressure, Chiro was running over every scenerio in his head that could happen when the blue monkey saw his cuts. Would he scream? Yell at him? Call for the others? The boy just didn't know.

" Okay, Chiro. All I'm going to do is put this around your arm and- Chiro? Are you even listening to me?"

" No."

" Well, you better start listening. Now, do what I told you earlier or I'll do it."

" No."

" Are you literally trying to test my patience, Chiro? Look, I know you're sick and I don't want to get upset with you so can you just do this one thing for me please?"

" Do you have to check my blood pressure?"

" Well, I don't have to, but I just want to make sure you're alright."

" Is it alright if I don't get it checked?"

"Hmmm... I suppose it wouldn't hurt... But if I do, you must take your medicine from now on without any trouble. Got it?"

" Got it. Now, can I go back to my room. I'm... kind of tired."

Gibson showed a small smile to the fourteen-year-old before helping the boy off the bed. Chiro was wobbly at first from feeling a little dizzy, but regained his posture quickly with the blue monkey's help.

They reached Chiro's room shortly, dimming the lights for Chiro's benefits.

" Now Chiro," Gibson began," I think it would be for the best if you wear a t-shirt and sweat pants to bed instead of those clothes that you have on. Remember, it is for the best to not be _all _warm when in bed."

Chiro contemplated if that was a wise idea for him to do, but thought that it would be the best if he could somehow make his friend happy... until he could no longer.

" Um... is it alright if I have some privacy to myself?"

The blue monkey nodded at this before giving the boy a smile with his warm eyes casting over the teen. Chiro couldn't help himself but to smile back.

" I'll go and make some tea for you. That should help soothe you a little. I'll be back in a minute," Gibson explained before he walked out of the room with his tail swaying behind him.

Chiro had watched his friend leave before he averted his eyes to one of his drawers from his dresser where he laid his clothes in. Inside the drawer, under the pile of clothes he wore on the weekends, laid a razar blade that called out to him.

The teen walked over to his dresser, pulling out a white t-shirt and black sweat pants from it. He took off his clothes quickly and put on the new apparel he had just chosen; the t-shirt revealing his slashed up arms. Then, he just stood there, silently, thinking if he should take out the temptation his body yearned for. Subconciously, Chiro slowly let his pale hand snake its way in the drawer, under the clothes where he hid his deepest, darkest secret.

Pulling out the clean razer blade that he had washed before midnight last night, the light on the ceiling made the blade shine almost like it was the priceless of treasures. A smirk crept up on the teen's lips, almost like it was a mix between a playful and sadistic smile with a hint of sadness in the gaps.

Glancing at the wounds he had inflicted himself with last night on his wrist, Chiro decided to let his arm take the gory punishment for today. The boy had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to do his "normal" ritual tonight if he was sick so decided that the best time was now. Hurriedly, the raven haired child went straight to his door, locking it just in case anyone entered when he was... "busy" at the moment.

After locking the door, Chiro walked back over his bed, sat down and searched for the right spot on both his arms that would take his punishment today. Finding one, the fourteen-year-old let the cold blade touch his skin on the right arm first before using all his might to allow the blade to dig in his flesh, ripping it so neatly as blood began to trail down his pallid arm from his small, vertical line...

Antauri walked in the kitchen, knowing that his brother was in there making something. As he entered, the silver monkey instinctively peered over to the stove, saw nothing on the top or no one near it before giving his full attention to movement at the sink.

There, Antauri saw Gibson turning on the faucet as its water obediently fell in the tea keattle.

" How is he?" the spiritual monkey spoke without calling his comrade's name first. Startled, Gibson dropped the tea keattle he had in the sink, turned with a irritiated look before it was placed quickly with being surprised at who he saw.

" Antauri, you startled me."

" Sorry, but I was just worried about Chiro."

" About what?"

" Well, that depends on what you have for me to hear."

" Was I suppose to give you a synopsis on Chiro when he was being checked at the doctor's today?"

Antauri smiled at the little humor his brother was trying to show before he watched the blue monkey retrieve his tea keattle, finish filling it up, turned off the faucet, and headed to the stove.

" That was the plan. Unless... you need help on making tea."

" I'm quite capable of making tea, Antauri, thank you very much. But I would like the help of you telling me how you knew I was making that?" Gibson asked as he placed the keattle on the stove, turned the heat of the appliance on between warm and medium.

" Isn't it obvious?" Antauri pointed out.

Gibson stared at the tea keattle, pondering for a minute before giving a sigh and a small smile as he turned to his brother.

" I suppose it is."

" I don't suppose. I know."

" Very funny, Mr. Know-It-All."

" 'Mr. Know-It-All'? On contray Gibson, I do believe that it is you who has taken that honor."

Gibson playfully glared as Antauri smirked. Before they knew it, the two had suddenly laughed outloud, but not as loud as one would think. They merely snickered at their little joke that had just played between the two. After a minute or two had passed, the two comrades relaxed before Gibson walked over to the sterling monkey, standing a foot or so away in front of his brother.

" So... which part do you want to hear? The part with Chiro's health or how Chiro acted?"

" Which one is the better news?"

" Neither."

" Well then, I guess I must know his health above all, shouldn't I."

" Very well... After I checked his temperature, it read ninety-nine point three. Just about one degree above normal, making it fact that he was indeed sick, but not extremely bad- which I'm happy for. So, I gave him some mortrine to help the small fever dwell down, and now I am making tea for the boy."

" Where is he?"

" In his room, sleeping, I suppose."

" Hmm... You " suppose" a lot, don't you?"

" Now Antauri, you don't expect me to know _everything_, do you?"

" Yes."

" Very funny."

" I'm not trying to be funny, Mr. Know-It-All."

It was amazing how Antauri could so easily use a serious tone of voice while trying to be humorous at the same time. Talent of being unreadable was strong in him indeed.

" Ha, ha. I'm really laughing. Seriously," Gibson caustically stated as he folded his arms in front of him.

" Gibson, you know I was kidding around, right?"

" I know, but you weren't there to deal with_ him_!

" No, but I am the rest of the time."

The blue monkey sighed as he unfolded his metallic arms. Antauri cocked his head to the side at this before putting it back to where it normally was seconds ago.

" Yeah... I know. You always are, huh?"

" Most of the time, but not always. Like today when you checked up on him. I wasn't there to see the dilemma that you had to put up with. Which I am curious about after your short complaining."

Gibson snorted at the last comment before telling him the events that had happened. All Antauri did was either nod or smirk at some of the things being told to him.

" Well, I wouldn't blame him to not take his medicine, Gibson. After all, it is a common thing for any human to dislike a certain substance that is made to heal your body."

" I know, but I wish that he would at least not be so childish about it."

" But he is a child, Gibson."

" I'm not referring the word 'childish' with 'child', Antauri."

" Well, I am."

Gibson paused and just stared at his comrade; thinking over his words and oddly, the ever growing bondness his leader and second-in-command have developed. Over the past two years, the blue monkey had watched how Antauri acted with the boy. So protective... always giving lectures and chores to the child... putting him to bed... getting him to school... training him... always acting so... parental.

" If I didn't know better, Antauri... It looks to me that you have somewhat... _established_ yourself as Chiro's... oh, shall we say... father?"

" What would give you an idea like that?"

" Well, isn't it obvious?" Quoted Gibson, who only gave his friend a small smile.

" Perhaps the clues to it seems to be believable, but the only person who could ever make me establish to Chiro as a father is none other than Chiro."

" Has he ever told you that you're a father to him?"

"...No."

The two stared off at each other; almost like they each wanted to see what the other would say next. It was hard to say since Gibson seemed to be contemplating while Antauri only gave a blank face to give the answer that he was or was not thinking. After a couple of minutes have passed, the spiritual monkey turned his head to the side, squinted his eyes for a second at a certain direction before turning back to Gibson with his usual expression before breaking the once existing silence.

" I'm going to go check on Chiro right now, Gibson. Also, your tea is going to be done in fifthteen seconds."

With that said, the silver monkey turned his back on the blue monkey, walking slowly off to his destination. His metallic feet tapping on the floor ever so gently.

" Do you wish to be his father, Antauri?" Gibson called out suddenly.; wanting to know the question that has been swimming in his mind at that moment.

The sterling monkey stopped in his tracks, but didn't twist his body around to look at his brother. The question caught him off guard, of course. Yet, he was not stunned enough that would inflict him to not say anything for a while.

" You and I both know the answer to that, Gibson."

Before the blue monkey could speak anymore, Antauri had rounded the corner and left him all by himself. Slowly... quietly, though, Gibson softly let his voice whisper out his response to unheard ears all around him.

" I know..."

As if it was on cue, the tea keattle on the stove began to whistle the loud, annoying racket that everyone hated. Telling the maker of the tea that it was done; knowing full well, though, that he knew it was coming since Antauri told him.

&&&&&&&&&&

" Chiro?"

A voice called out through the door after jingling the doorknob to the boy's grey, metal door; finding that it was locked. Startled, Chiro jumped a foot off the ground after allowing a little squeek to come out of his mouth from surprisement.

" W-who's there?"

" It's Antauri."

_" Shit!" _Chiro thought. The boy looked frantically around himself; realizing that there was no time to clean up his "mess". With his bloody arms, tainted razer, red stained sheets, a small pool of crimson just forming on the floor, Chiro knew for sure that he was going to get caught. _" But I have to at least try to not get caught and quick!"_

" Um... don't come in!" Was the first thing that came out of the teen's mouth; mostly because it was from instinct.

" And why not?"

" Because...I'm... Getting changed."

_He's gotta believe that,"_ Chiro thought from his quick thinking. There was no response at first as the others were like. It finally came, though, after a few moments.

" All right, but please hurry up, Chiro. I need to talk to you."

" Like always..." mumbled the boy.

Finally knowing that he had at least a few minutes to clean up everything, Chiro abruptly ripped the bloody sheet from his bed. He went down on the floor on his hands and knees; quickly making circle rotations to make the sheet grab all the blood off the floor. After doing so, Chiro wiped the razer blade off with the sheet.

_" Now where am I going to put this?" _He thought as he spinned around to find the best hiding place. Finally finding one, Chiro hurried over to his closet, opened the sliding door, tossed the bloody sheet, and grabbed another blanket from his closet. He went to his bed and drapped the green blanket over his entire bed.

Quickly, Chiro put his razer blade back in his drawer from his dresser under the pile of clothes before picking any long-sleeve shirt. He picked another black long-sleeve shirt, thankfully. Pulling his sleeves down to cover his still trailing of blood arms, the teen pulled the shirt over his head. After wiping his hands on his t-shirt underneath his second shirt, Chiro made sure that no blood was visible to his eyes.

Letting a sigh of relief wash over him, Chiro walked over to his door, unlocked it, and opened it wide to greet the monkey waiting outside his room.

" Well, that was longer than I had anticipated and what is that smell...?" Antauri mumbled the last part, but Chiro didn't catch it.

" Well, I guess I'm kind of a slow guy."

" No, you're only like that when it comes to getting out of bed for school."

Chiro had to walk away from his door and act as casual as possible after hearing the word 'school'. The very thought of it made him think of the past two months and right now wasn't the best time to think about it.

Automatically, Antauri followed the teen ( closing the door with his telekinesis) while watching the boy sit on his bed. Suddenly, he stopped. After taking a couple of steps in Chiro's room, Antauri smelled the rather peculiar and familiar smell lingering in the room he had spoken about before, but now it was three times stronger than it had when the boy opened his door.

" Chiro."

" Huh?"

" Is that blood I smell?"

Chiro stiffened. He tried his best to control his breathing while his mind was screaming at him. _" He can smell twice as better than you or any other monkey here, idiot!"_

" Blood? What blood? I don't smell anything."

" Well, I do."

" Are you sure? Maybe one of your circuits are loose or something because I don't smell anything..."

" Chiro, you and I both know that I can smell, but only the smells I have smelt in my last body. Remember Gibson told us that and with the fact that I can't smell any new odors or any other scents from now on because my body can't take that much information to absorb at once?"

" Oh yeah, huh... But its not like it's as powerful as feeling heat or coldness, right?"

" Actually, it's just as powerful."

" It... is?"

" Why yes. How was I able to sense that your regular body temperture was point six degree higher than normal."

" Ah...-"

" Exactly, and now that you have re-learned why I still somehow have two of my senses, I would like to know why your room smells like blood."

" Antauri, I have no idea what you are talking about."

Chiro exclaimed. The silver monkey didn't respond but unexpectantly, folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes with a look that sort of resembled his meditation look: calm, collective, and contemplation.

Becoming a little panic in the situation, Chiro began to fidget with his hands while he was going crazy inside his head from whatever his friend was thinking about. His thumbs twirled around each other like they were partners in a dance competition doing a perfect rumba.

" Chiro," Antauri called his leader's name without opening his eyes.

" Y-yes?" Chiro hesitantly answered.

" The blood... the stench isn't just any foul smell like I had scented before many times... This is a certain blood that I would only smell in battles or from careless accidents... Chiro," Antauri began now opening his eyes slowly, " the scent of blood is coming from _you_."

_"No... It's impossible! How did he figure it out?" _Chiro mentally shrieked.

" I have no idea what you are talking about-"

" You're lying."

" No, I'm not."

" You just did it again. Why are you lying right in my face?"

" I'm not lying!"

A pause, then, " I don't believe you."

Chiro gritted his teeth together as he got off his bed suddenly and walked over to Antauri. They both locked eyes before the monkey spoke again.

" The smell is at its strongest from you just standing there."

" I have no idea what you are talking about, Antauri. And now I would like it if you left me to be."

" No. Not until I find the truth here."

They both never let go of each others blue eyes. Chiro with glares and the second-in-command searching.

Antauri used his "smell" to find the place where the blood was coming off the boy's body. The monkey knew that the his leader was bleeding but where? He was starting to smell the stench coming off... Chiro's arms. Confused, the sterling monkey didn't know what to say or think at the moment. _" How is it coming from his arms?" _he thought. Before he could ask or say anything, there was a sound:

A single drop.

It was the size of a raindrop but it was certainly heard from his hearing. Antauri let his eyes drop to the ground quickly and saw to his astonishment, the tiniest drop of blood as the size of a raindrop. The second-in-command knew what would happen next. Without any hesitation, Antauri grabbed Chiro's arm (causing him to say "hey") and with his advance speed, drew back the boy's sleeve to see what exactly the monkey was searching for.

His eyes widened as he froze in place. The first thing Antauri saw was blood. The crimson liquid let itself gently touch the tips of the spiritual monkey's fingers. The second thing he saw were the brutal slashes across the child's bare arms. Instictively, the monkey sucked in air that was none other than a gasp. For once in his life, Antauri was lost at words. He only looked up at Chiro with a plantive stare before slowly saying.

" Chiro..."

The raven-haired child, now shocked and frightened, ripped his arm away from his friend and staggered back. His sapphire eyes were wide and full of fear from his secret now being revealed. Antauri tired to walk forward to say something but Chiro suddenly barked out, " Stay away!"

Surprised, Antauri stopped walking forward and said, " Chiro, this isn't right. You need help. Let's go to med bay and clean up those... cuts you have before figuring what to do next." Again the sterling monkey tried to walk forward and reach out to him, but was soon stopped when the child yelled at him.

" STAY AWAY!"

Suddenly, Chiro ran. He pushed Antauri out of the way and wrethced his door open before he zoomed away. The monkey regained his posture after catching himself from falling with his telekiness. Startled and afraid about what would happen to the child, Antauri ran after him.

The teen never stopped running when he past by his fellow teammates, causing Gibson to spill the tea everywhere when he accidently bumped into him to get out the robot's door. His bare feet hit the city's streets quickly while the rain that had began to fall hours ago, let out its roaring anger with the painful drizzles over his body.

He heard voices calling him not long behind and knew for sure that it was Antauri and the others that ran to find him. Chiro was glad that he left his communicator in his room. Rounding the corner of a building, the child found himself in an alley. Seeing a huge dumpster, the teen hid behind it and waited. The child stayed hidden so he could catch his breath but continued to peek towards the entrance of the alley.

Minutes passed by like seconds with the rain pounding on anything it made contact with. Chiro's sapphire eyes searched desperately for any unknown movement, but nothing came. The street up ahead was deserted with no people or monkeys at all to be seen. Believing that he was safe, the raven haired child turned his attention away from the entrance and leaned his head back against the dumpster. " It was foolish to run, " Chiro whispered to himself while his wet hair fell in front of his eyes. He pushed it to the side with one of his hands. " They will never stop looking for me."

The teen closed his eyes. Enjoying in the numbness he began to feel from the coldness of the rain. He was like that for a moment before he suddenly sneezed, and sneezed again, and again. He wiped his nose on his sleeve which was turning red from the nip of the cold.

" Great. I'm stuck hiding behind a smelly dumpster in the rain while being sick."

Chiro sneezed once more. He decided that maybe he should find dryer ground if he was going to be out here. The teen tried getting up but miserably slid back down from exhaustion. _" I must have gotten worse from running and being in the rain." _He thought. Even with this thought, that didn't stop him from trying to get up.

The fourteen-year-old tried once more to get back to his feet. This time, he was successful. Feeling a little dizzy, Chiro leaned against the wall for support. " Next time, I won't get up so fast," he mumbled. After resting like that for a few moments, the child pulled loose from the wall and slowly walked to the entrance of the alley.

He peeked around the corner for any signs of his teammates before he would proceed forward. Nothing. Chiro walked out on the sidewalk, contemplating on what to do next. If it wasn't for the rain, it would have been silent as the grave on the street he was on.

The boy could only let his eyes roam on the lonely road and buildings surrounding himFor a second, his mind wandered to a question that he had been thinking over for the past two months. _" Should I tell Antauri and the others?"_

He still was confused on this question for he didn't know which was the best answer, but right at that moment, it looked like he was going to explain everything to his fellow monkeys. So that seemed to be the only answer. Unless...

Unless he killed himself right now.

Considering it for a minute, Chiro was about to either jump off the roof of one of the buildings or slit his throat with the sharpest object before something stalled him. What would the others think? How would they feel? He really didn't think about this much since it only made his process to actually do suicide slow down. That was why he didn't kill himself on that unfateful day two months ago because of them.

Chiro knew if he began to think about them, he would feel guilty and heartbroken at once for doing such a thing. Relunctantly, the teen began to think about them. Seeing Sprx always giving off his cocky remarks; Nova pounding Sprx over the head; Otto giving off his joyous laughter; Gibson telling another therom to him in geometry.

And Antauri... Antauri always finding a way to help him sleep either its the stroking of the hair or a little lullaby to past the restless time.

Chiro closed his eyes suddenly from the the memories overwhelming him. _"Maybe...," _he thought,_ " Maybe I should tell them what happened and see what we should do from there."_

Because of the memory of his teammates, Chiro decided to go back to the Super Robot and tell them everything instead going forward with his suicide. A small, smile was placed upon his lips as he was going to walk.

But before he even got to take a step forward, a voice spoke behind him.

" Hello, Chiro."

The boy froze. His eyes widened in horror as he slowly turned around to the dreadful person with the voice. There, standing right behind him was none other than _him_. Chiro wanted to run for his dear life, but his feet were stuck to the ground it seemed. He wanted to scream for Antauri and the others, but lost his voice as he only gapped. Instead, the person in front of him spoke.

" I've been waiting a long time for this," he seductively said.

Before Chiro could react, the person in front of him grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, brought his fist up, and punched the boy square in the face before throwing him into the wall.

Chiro groaned as the world around him began to swirl all around him while painfully watching the man walk over to him before being picked up bridal style. That was the last thing he saw before his vision dissolved to the darkness with his conciousness slipping away.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

A/N: Yeah! Done with chapter three. Now isn't that a faster update? Except, just to let you know, I didn't think it was a very good way how Antauri found Chiro's cutting problem since I didn't write very well at that moment, but it still came out good, I hope.

Also, I explained a little about Antauri's senses so I hope it makes sense, and with Gibson, I hope I wrote him correctly since I found him like a British person, you know? Always proper than the others... I think.

And another thing, I had two people thinking that this would be a good Chiro/Antauri fic. Now, for anyone who was suspecting this in the story, I'm afraid I'm not making it a Chiro/Antauri fic because I didn't want it in this story. BUT I have came to ask everyone who is reading this if they want me to write a Chiro/ Antauri fic. So, does anyone want me to write a Chiro/ Antauri fic?

Please review and answer my questions and please tell me know how you think I handled Gibson.

Thanks

P.S. Oh and about the poem I wrote, it ties into the story. Especially in future chapters.


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own the any SRMTHG, but my own story and characters I have in this story. ALSO!!! I DON'T KNOW IF MANY OF YOU WILL BE OFFENDED BY THE "EVENTS" IN THIS CHAPTER. IF SO, I APOLOGIZE.

Chapter Four

****The only time Antauri could feel another's physical pain was when he was meditating. Except, the wise monkey could only sense this with Chiro and his siblings. If the sterling monkey really wanted to know how another being's (or robot's) physical pain was, he would have to concertrate harder and unfortuantly, lose all his energy that he had possessed that day to stay functioned. When he was part organic, it was alright for him to take this risk to go unconcious, but since he was fully machine now, if he truly wasn't careful, he might not wake up again.

Because of this fact, Antauri would not take the chance. Yet, for some reason, he would always have another affect when performing this dangerous meditation to his comrades. Instead of just feeling another's pain mentally, Antauri could feel it bodily ( with the exception of not ever shutting down for good after this). For instance, if the silver monkey wished to concentrate on Sprx when his brother is bonked on the head by his dear sister, Nova, the second-in-command will certainly feel the hit with the full on impact on the _exact_ same spot at the exact same time.

Dangerous? Yes. Deadly? Depends on the circumstances.

For example, if Nova decided to kill Sprx-77 when Antauri was connected to his brother, he too will surely die the same way. Since Antauri knew his yellow, pink-eyed comrade would never do such a thing or any of his siblings wouldn't dare kill each other, he was fine. Except, there was one person that had him on a different term. Chiro.

Ever since Antauri had entered the boy's body spiritually, his connection had grown stronger with his leader. Now, instead of just feeling the child's pain physically, the silver monkey has no control over his emotions and concious mind when connected to Chiro. For example, if Antauri was connected with Chiro's mind when the boy hurt himself, say cutting? Antauri would feel the slicing on his wrists or/and arms. Except, now he wouldn't only feel the pain but also imitate out whatever emotion Chiro was feeling or movements the boy had made at that moment. If the boy gasped, he would gasp. If Chiro felt depressed, he would feel depressed. If the child lifted his hand in the air, he would lift his hand in the air, and so on. Basically, if Antauri was connected with Chiro, he _would_ be Chiro. Every hundred percent of him in his mind.

Antauri would never use this meditation technique on Chiro or any of his siblings

without having his or her permission first. Except, today he would break that rule.

It had been two weeks since Chiro had runaway, driving everyone insane from finding no trace of him. When they were searching for their leader for hours after hours, it took every one of Antauri's teammates to pressure him to come back after they grew tired and exhausted. Reluctantly, he went back to the Super Robot but went straight to the control room on the computer to find a location of Chiro ( after telling everyone what had happend earlier and what he knew so far about Chiro's 'habit's', which had caused quite an uproar between him and Sprx.)

He found nothing. After a couple of days with no leads to his disappearance, Antauri _himself_ was going insane. It took all his power to not yell at his fellow teammates when they asked if he found anything yet, and to have such anger welled up inside him was almost frightening. That was why today he was going to use the forbidden technique to make sure the child was alright.

Since Antauri told his siblings that he needed some time alone to think things over, he told them to go and get something to eat to feel a little relaxed. He doubted they would relax but it was better than nothing to get some alone time in the Super Robot.

As Antauri sat in his room on the floor in his meditation stance, he knew that there could be a possible chance that he couldn't come back to his concious mind if he wished to come back. If Chiro was in a violent predicament, the boy's mind could be in such turmoil that Antauri could easily be lost in it and not be able to escape until it was over.This was something that had been considered in the monkey's mind but decided to risk his sanity for just this once.

He only once went into Chiro's mind and that was when Gibson insisted that Antauri must test out each and every one of his skills when he became the silver monkey. That also included his dangerous meditation on each of his teammates. Everything seemed to be the same for his comrades. That was until it was his leader's turn. When he entered, he knew at that moment that something was different...

**_Flashback_**

_Curiosity and nervousness overwhelmed him suddenly as his mind connected with Chiro's. _"Well, this is new," _Antauri thought. Never had he experienced another's emotions in his mind before and this sort of sparked his interest to see what else he could do. But he was over powered from fear suddenly before him and Chiro spoke in unison:_

_**" Is he in my head?"**_

_Both sitting in meditation stance in just two feet apart from each other, Chiro stared with confused eyes in his mentor's confused eyes at the unison. Chiro turned his head to Gibson ( Antauri doing the same) before asking the blue monkey a question._

_**" Did he just-"**_

_Chiro stopped and just gaped at the unison again, the silver monkey doing the same. The boy lifted his hand to his chin but then watched as Antauri did the same. Before Chiro knew it, the child began to wave at the monkey with other hand movements, studying how Antauri was doing the exact same thing at the same time._

_"**Amazing..."**Gibson stated, **" This certainly is something that I've never seen Antauri do when in this meditation form."**_

_The other siblings agreed to this new statement, slightly curious about this new talent of their Second-in-Command. Then, almost like on cue, Antauri blinked his eyes and shook his head a little while Chiro stopped what he was doing and stared at his friend. _

_**" Well, that was different," **Antauri said outloud before bringing his attention to everyone's stares._

**_End of Flashback_**

Antauri took a deep breathe before closing his eyes, concentrating on finding Chiro's energy. It took a few minutes before he began to pick up the boy's energy. _" If only I knew his location,"_ thought Antauri. The silver monkey knew that even if he can mold with his leader spiritually, it didn't mean he knew where the body he was in was being held at. Sadly, this was the truth. Yet, this truth never stopped the second-in-command. Concentrating harder, Antauri went into the dangerous meditaion method by repeating the words " Becoming one... becoming one... becoming one...becoming one... becoming one... becoming one..."

His mind went into a foggy and smokey pathway with different colors surrounding him. Almost like he was swimming in multitudes of majestic rainbows, swirling together to find the color each one of them liked the best. Meditating deeper within his leader's mind, the smoke began to be blown away with Antauri never getting pushed back as his spirit settled nicely within the boy's mind and body.

Then, pain.

Such excruiating pain enveloped his body as Antauri suddenly fell on his back, body sprawled out exactly how Chiro was positioned. The silver monkey only saw darkness since both Chiro's and now his eyes were closed. Excluding the pain, Antauri felt exhaustion from the boy's body with the thought of lost hope intertwining his mind. Just like Chiro, Antauri accepted this feeling willingly, something the monkey would never do in his entire life.

The monkey's fake breathing was painful each time he took air in with two of Chiro's (and Antauri's imaginery) ribs creaking against each other in a broken mess. His metallic body shook slightly from being cold like the boy's body was, helping the two ribs make the two teammates suffer a little more.

With what little left Antauri had with his own mind, the monkey sensed that Chiro's mind was not in its normal state. It was a little crazy inside the boy's mind with the help of depression taking over his thoughts lately. It was so powerful that the silver monkey knew that in only a matter of minutes his own mind would succumb to the emotion's demanding forces against his will power.

He knew that his leader's mind was on the border line of a dangerous turmoil. The question in Antauri's weakening mind was why? Why was his friend in so much suffering? To get this close to this kind of turmoil was if something horrible or/and gruesome came upon someone hard-_really_ hard. Either it was physical or seeing an event through the person's eyes can only cause a destructive turmoil as this one in the boy's mind. Antauri had a good lead that it was physical.

If only Antauri knew how far he wasn't off his lead.

The two beings' heard the floorboards squeaking suddenly, stopping only a few feet from Chiro's form. Their bodies tensed as fear overwhelmed their senses.

" Chiro," slurred a smooth, deep voice. The footsteps started up again but with a different sound added; something soft and almost soundless dropping to the floor. The boy's mind automatically thought of clothes with Antauri confused about this. He soon forgot about that when both their minds accepted the fear rambling everywhere in the two.

Suddenly the two felt a breath lingering near their right ear, making Chiro's and Antauri's spine tingle.

"Open your eyes," the voice whispered. The two comrades did not comply to this simple task. In unison, the two wimpered loudly when Chiro's raven hair was grabbed and pulled upward for the boy and monkey to feel hot breath over their faces. "I said open your eyes, dammit! Or I'll make you!" hissed the voice.

Shaking from fear, the two relunctantly opened their eyes to the voice's face. With Antauri now looking through his leader's eyes, he was met with two, green eyes boring hungrily in his as Chiro's hair was let go. Their heads came to the ground once again, but their eyes never went back to closing.

Antauri saw that the voice came from a young man, looking to be about in his early twenties. His shoulder-length, brown hair matching his oval, round face perfectly as it was only a foot away from his face. When Antauri opened his eyes and saw the young man, it took only a second for both Chiro's and his mind to be nervous and scared at once when realizing that the man was on his hands and knees, looming over Chiro's form. To top it off, the man was naked and... so was Chiro.

" There are those baby, blue eyes," said the man as his hand moved astray some of Chiro's hair covering his eyes a little. Antauri and Chiro flinched when the hand made contact with their forehead. While this happened, the man began to speak softly to Chiro (and Antauri).

" So... beautiful... You're beautiful, but... those eyes. Oh God, those eyes! It's the only thing that truly reminds me of Serena. Oh, but don't worry, my love. You have many features of Serena. Like her raven hair and pale skin..."

The man let his right hand's fingers roam up and down the boy's chest teasingly as Chiro and Antauri tensed.

" ...And let's not forget about her pink lips."

When the man brought his lips upon Chiro's ( and Antauri's), that was when the two of them spiraled into a critical turmoil. That was when the two crossed the border line, and into the thought of the worst turmoil ever known for the mind. The thought of one's own death.

That was when Antauri lost the last thread to his own mind, drowning in the mind of Chiro's. Becoming _exactly_ one with him.

_** Cosmo Coast Cafe **_

****Sprx hated silence. He was never the type for it and was someone who needed _some _kind of sound; any kind of sound to block the ringing of silence to his ears. Right now, though, he welcomed it with opened arms.

Sprx was with his three siblings ( Gibson, Otto, and Nova) at Cosmo Coast Cafe, sitting at a booth, getting somehting to eat and "relaxing" with his comrades. If anything it was the opposite from "relaxing". All four of them were tense and weary from trying to track down their leader, Chiro.

The red monkey picked up the glass filled with soda and brought it to his lips. He took a sip, savoring the richness of the unhealthy liquid. Sprx put his glass back down on the table before sighing.

Sprx hated seeing his siblings being tormented whether it was mentally or physically or even both. The very thought of them not happy was just crazy! He wanted to see Gibson working in his lab again, yelling at Chiro and Otto to never mix any chemicals without his approval. _" The kid still never listened to this rule, even after he made something explode with two chemicals he didn't know," _the red monkey thought.

The red monkey wanted to see Nova laughing again with her pink eyes shining brightly after hearing a joke from Chiro. _" He always had her laughing; no matter what had happened that day," _Sprx thought.

Sprx wanted to see Otto smile and being cheerful again after playing at the park with Chiro. _" He never said 'no' whenever Otto asked him to hang out with him. Never," _He thought.

The red monkey relunctantly wanted to see Antauri's eyes twinkle with happiness or have the silver monkey smirk again after hearing something from Chiro or about him from his comrades. _"He always got Antauri happy one way or another," _the robotic monkey thought.

Sprx wanted... he wanted... Dammit! All Sprx wanted was to see Chiro right now! Well and alive. Playing video games with the red monkey as the two fought over who was going to win the race. Unfortunantly, life wasn't too kind to him right now.

Gibson _wasn't_ working in his lab anymore, but on the Super Robot's computer checking the scans for any sign of Chiro. Nova has _barely _spoken since Chiro has been gone, letting the thought of laughter be sucked right out of her. Otto _stopped_ smiling with his diminished cheerful spirit and only stared at you with sad and painful eyes. The only thing he did do was help Gibson on the computer. Antauri _no longer _smirked or held happiness in his eyes. Instead, the silver monkey seemed to hold empty, emotionless eyes while searching for Chiro on the computer. He even developed a slight temper that had shocked Sprx. The red monkey surely thought that his brother wouldn't be so angry over this ordeal, but worried. Boy, was he wrong.

And Sprx didn't play video games anymore since the only person who could play video games with him was gone, leaving the monkey lonesome, worried, and even **angry**. Yes, angry. Even before the boy ran away, Sprx was already upset with Chiro a little about how he dressed and ate. Then, when the kid ran away from the monkeys, Sprx got _really_ mad and started cussing at everyone for letting the child escape when they returned home and heard what Antauti told them about the event and the 'habits' that Chiro had picked up from the past two months.

The red monkey was especially upset at Antauri. He was so mad at his brother that he even told him that he "should burn in hell" for not fixing the problem from the start. Sprx never regretted saying these words. Not even once.

_" That fucking bastard," _Sprx thought._ " This is all **his** fault from the beginning! He **knew** what was going on with Chiro and did nothing! NOTHING! If he wasn't my brother I would... I would... DAMMIT! I WOULD FUCKING KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!" _

Sprx picked up his soda again before taking a big gulp, closing his eyes in the process. When he was finished, he set his glass back down and sighed to try to calm himself. It didn't work. _" I need to get out of here," _he thought. The red monkey got up from his seat, startling his siblings before saying " I'm going to take a little walk if that's alright with you guys."

Gibson nodded at this. " We were just going to stay here for an hour or two more anyway. Make sure you come back by then," the blue monkey explained to his hot-headed brother gently. Sprx nodded before leaving the joint and started walking in the direction where the Super Robot was located.

When he began to think of his brother that was at the Super Robot, Sprx gritted his teeth in anger. " I think I need to go 'talk' to my brother," Sprx said to himself as he headed towards the robot.

_** Super Robot**_

****Sprx entered the robot, storming to where his brother's room was. He began to think of what he was going to do to his brother when he got there. Definitely yell at him from frustration and anger. Probably even punch the second-in-command in the face for his liking. Yeah, he liked the second one the best. As he got closer, though, he began to hear whimpering and painful groans._ " What's going on?" _the red monkey thought. When he got to the door, he pressed his ear to the door and heard... a moan? _" What the hell is he doing in there? Masturbating? Can the guy even masturbate?" _Sprx thought as he squinted his eyes at the idea. He was snapped out of any further thoughts when he heard an even louder moan come from his brother.

Without even thinking, Sprx turned the doorknob and swung the door open. He stood there at the door frame in shock. There lying on the floor was none other than Antauri, arching slightly off the ground as he gasped. Sprx's eyes widen as his mouth seemed to fall to the ground. _" Holy shit! He is masturbating!" _the monkey began to fume at this. _" Why the hell is he masturbating at a time like this, and **not** searching for Chiro?!" _

Getting pissed off now, Sprx marched right up to Antauri, and kneeled right next to him. _" He must be spiritually masturbating," _Sprx thought bitterly as he saw that his brother's eyes were closed shut. Bringing his hand up, Sprx decided to bring him back into reality, but when his hand touched his brother's arm, something strange went through him. Something that resembled a lot like...

Lust.

Pausing his hand on his brother's arm, Sprx tried to think for a moment about what just happened, but was betrayed by his own eyes when he began to roam the other's body. He watched how his comrade tossed his head side to side or when the other arched his back with gasping when Sprx's hand felt the other's chest..., leg..., thigh- Wait. Hand?

_" What the hell am I doing?!" _Sprx forced himself to stop his movements as he realized what exactly he was doing ( while forgetting that his hand was still on his brother's inner thigh.) " Get a hold of yourself, Sprx. This is probably one of Antauri's mind tricks," the red monkey told himself. **_" But what if it isn't?" _**His mind asked. " Your point?" the pilot asked annoyed._ **" You can do whatever you want to him." **_For some odd reason, Sprx smirked at this. " In that case..."

Without him even thinking, Sprx climbed on top of Antauri and straddled his hips, " let's get this party started." As if on cue, the red monkey's hands seemed to have a mind of their own as he touched his brother in a not so innocent way. Not soon after this little 'act', he dipped his head down and captured his brother's lips in his, caressing the other's lips in a soft massage. It didn't stay this way too long since he slightly bit the other's bottom lip, gaining the silver monkey to gasp, and slipped his tongue in the other's mouth. Sprx melted in Antauri's mouth while having his tongue taste every little aspect in the other's mouth to pleasure himself.

Sprx couldn't think straight. One moment he was pissed off at his brother, the next moment he's lusting after him. It almost felt like he was being controlled by some unknown force. Even if this was true or not, Sprx didn't seem to care since his hormones began to rise within him.

The red monkey slid his tongue down his sibling's body while running his hands up and down the silver monkey's sides. _" This is what I needed," _Sprx thought as he went to the other's neck and shoulder; kissing, sucking, and nipping as much as he could. _" Oh, God! Why didn't I think of this before? He's perfect for my stress level right now. Just touching him brings it down a bar, and tasting him... Oh my God! I think I love him-"_

"Please..."

Startled, Sprx stopped his kissing and looked up at Antauri's face. The silver monkey still had his eyes closed.

" 'Please' what?" the words came out of Sprx without him even knowing why. The same went with his tongue as he licked his brother's ear slowly, almost seductively. Antauri shuddered under the touch.

"Stop...," Antauri whispered to his brother. Sprx stopped licking his brother before moving his face only inches from Antauri's, glaring and baring his fangs at the silver monkey. Anger suddenly swallowed the red monkey as fast as a hurricane wrecks a city in seconds.

" Stop? STOP! I'll fucking stop when I want to, whore! You're not the boss of me, bitch!" Where did that come from? Sprx didn't want to say that to his brother. Before the pilot could contemplate why he was saying such words, his anger earlier that day with this new, unknown anger took hold of him again.

When he berated Antauri, Sprx saw his brother flich from his words. Without warnng, a sadistic smile creeped up on the red monkey's lips. " What's a matter, slut? Too scared to respond now? If you can't respond you should at least look at me." The silver monkey whimpered from pain suddenly. Sprx was slightly curious as to why until he saw why.

The pilot's hands were squeezing his brother's two arms in a death grip that would bruise any human being instantly. _" Not Antauri," _Sprx thought bitterly._ "Never him. He's all metal now-even if we are too- with nothing living left inside him."_ The red monkey squeezed harder on his brother's arm to try and break them.

_" I'll make sure you'll bruise, Antauri." _

" Oh yes. I forgot. You're_ also _too scared to even look at me. Well, whore, I want you to look at me. I want you to see your _punishment_ for trying to boss me around," Sprx explained. Before he could stop himself, he let go one of his hands, put it into a fist, and throw it straight into Antauri's face. The silver monkey cried out in pain, but instead of opening his eyes, Antauri tightened them. Sprx gritted his teeth.

Furious now, Sprx lifted both of his balled up hands and before he could stop himself, pounded his brother's chest and stomach. This time, Antauri opened his eyes, crying out painfully at each punch thrown at him that dented his body. Yet, even when Sprx saw his brother's baby, blue eyes, he still hit him, but not just in the chest and stomach. He hit him anywhere his fist could collide with.

When Sprx got tired of punching, he made sure his teeth and nails got some of the action. Instead of kissing his brother, the red monkey began to bite him ferociously like an animal would to it prey. His fingers no longer left feathery touches, but clawed scratches on the other's body. By now, Antauri was screaming as if his life depended on it; sometimes pleading to his tormentor to stop.

" There you go again! Bossing me around as if I'm _your_ bitch! Well, I've got news for you, whore. _I _call the shot and _I'll_ do whatever I fucking want!" Sprx angerily stated. Then, he did the most vile thing he could ever do to his sibling. He entered him; entered him and was going to pound into him until he was a pulp.

Though his face showed a sadistic and sick look on his face while doing his brother, he was actually having a battle within himself . _" How am I hurting him?" _he thought. _" There's no possible way I could hurt him like this since I don't have a penis in me, but a butthole that can be covered from my metal parts, and Antauri has none of the two things." _But as Sprx saw his brother's blood, curdling screams coming out of his mouth while writhering in pain, the red monkey didn't know what to believe in.

**_" He deserves this."_**

_" No, he doesn't."_

_**" Yes, he does. It was his fault this whole thing started. He could have stopped it, but did he? No. He did NOTHING!"**_

_" Maybe he had good reasons for not doing anything-"_

_**"NO! He is to blame for this predicament!"**_

_" How do you know? He did tell us that he was watching to see if anything got worse-"_

_**" That's right. He WATCHED. The bastard watched the entire time!"**_

****As Sprx was trying to win the battle inside him, he saw tears welling up in the sparkling, blue eyes staring up at the ceiling, falling out of the eyes and down Antauri's face.

" Why are you crying, my love? Am I _not_ paying enough attention to you? Does (thrust) this (thrust) help (thrust)?" Sprx spoke insanely while laughing histyrically afterwards. He pumped a little faster since he knew he was coming soon.

_" STOP! This isn't right! Antauri!" _But when Sprx tried to stop, his body wouldn't budge. In fact, it almost felt like he no longer had any control of his metallic body; almost like he was a puppet and some crazed person was pulling his strings.

**_" Why should I? He deserves this, and you know you want this just as much as I do."_**

_" No, I don't!"_

**_" But weren't you just thinking a few minutes ago about socking your brother one in the face?"_**

_" No! I mean, yes. I mean... GAH! Fuck you!"_

**_" I'm already fucking someone, thank you very much."_**

_" Shut up!"_

**_" How can I when we're moaning from this pleasure?"_**

_" Get out of my head!"_

_**" Why? I'm just giving him what he deserves."**_

_" NO! He doesn't deserve this! He was only trying to help Chiro!"_

_**" How? By standing on the sidelines to see what else the kid did to himself?"**_

_" How could he do anything when he didn't know what was wrong with him in the first place!"_

Reality finally dawned on Sprx as he now understood why his brother wouldn't stop Chiro in his cutting because Antauri _never_ knew about it. He was still standing on the sidelines to watch the final play be lain down before he came in and tackled it.

Sprx suddenly regretted saying those words to his brother two weeks ago.

**_" But he did know-"_**

_" No, he didn't!"_

**_" Yes-"_**

_" You shut that fucking mouth of yours! Antauri was always there for Chiro whatever the problem was, not me! I was too busy piloting, dammit!"_

**_" But-"_**

_" SHUT UP! I'M NOT FINISHED! My dear brother even went so far as to sacrifice himself for the boy! Even I don't know if I could go that far! I would be scared to death-no, to weak- to end my life! So don't you say he deserves this... this torment because if it should be anyone, it should be ME!"_

No one responded back to him. His mind was calm and quiet, and at this Sprx mentally sighed a relief. It wasn't for long, though, when he realized that he still had no control of his body, which had his brother under him crying and screaming out in pain.

_" Why can't I stop! Oh God! Antauri, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me! Antauri!-"_

"I'M SORRY!"

Screaming out the very thing that was at the tip of his tongue, that was the only control Sprx seemed to gain at the last minute before he had his orgasim. If he did carry the male organ, his seed would be all inside Antauri ( if the silver monkey had a butthole).

Antauri's screams ceased, but his tears never stopped. They only slowed down a bit, but never did they stop. Sprx saw this while trying his best not to collapse on his brother. The red monkey was too tired to even try to get off his brother.

_" Wait. I can control my body again?" _the red monkey thought. Sprx weakly lifted his hand, and smirked at it before dropping it back on the ground to steady himself.

" Well, that's good," he said outloud. The smirk on his face left instanly when he saw Antauri close his eyes with the tears still crawling through the corners of his eyes. Sprx saw how the silver monkey's breathing was almost like wheezing while his breathing was only trying to relax after feeling like he ran a mile nonstop.

Tears began to well up in his own eyes. It wasn't long before he was sobbing uncontrollable, his body shaking with the sobbing. To exhausted to keep himself up any longer, Sprx's body fell on top of his brother's, crying in the other's chest as he allowed the tears to flow freely.

" It's al-all my fault...I-It's all m-my fault... It's al-all my f-f-fau-ult..." Sprx mumbled in his brother.

" No, it's not."

Sprx brought his head up faster than you can say 'Gibson' only to look up in the beautiful, blue eyes of his brother, Antauri, staring up at him.

" Antauri!"

The second-in-command smirked at this before Sprx could continue on.

" Are you... are you ok?"

The silver monkey smiled at him before weakly responding to him, " Yes, I'm fine."

When Sprx heard his brother tell him that, he could only throw his head side to side to show that it meant 'no' while his bottom lip trembled a little as his eyes tried their best to not leak out any more tears.

" No... you're not. I know you aren't because I-I-I-I-I-"

" Shhhhhh... It's ok, Sprx. I'm here... I'm here."

Antauri brought his hand up and rubbed his brother's back in circle rotation patterns while trying to relax his brother. It seemed to work since the red monkey laid his head back down on his brother's chest, sobbing quietly. The silver monkey knew what his brother was trying to say, but Antauri would not have him even speak the first letter to the word. He couldn't handle the thought of Sprx going balistic at something his brother didn't even have control in the first place. For whatever Sprx-77 did to him, it really wasn't him.

" Antauri?"

" Hmm?"

" I-I'm sorry. This is all my f-fault-"

" No, Sprx. It isn't."

"But-"

"Hush," Antauri said gently in the other's ear, " none of this is your fault. I'll prove it to you, but for now... I think I want to lay in my bed."

It took a couple of minutes, but Sprx was able to get off his brother and help him to the silver monkey's bed. It took all his will power to not gasp at the damage he had done to his brother. Claw marks and dents were visible everywhere on Antauri's body. Thankfully, though, the dents were small and not as bad as Sprx pictured it, but the scratches on him were far worst than he had imagine. His claw marks were all over the other's body, making his usual shine on his body be dull and and grey to Sprx. The red monkey never objected when a few more tears wanted to fall from his eyes.

When Antauri got in bed, he used his telekinesis to fix his pillows in bed so he could be sitting up and relaxing with his pillows behind his back. The spiritual monkey was about to cover himself with his blankets when he realized that Sprx was still in the room. Looking over at his brother, Antauri felt his heart break at the sight before him.

There, a few feet away from his bed, was Sprx. His head was towards to the ground while his hands held his tail limply in front of his legs. The red monkey shook from his sobbing while Antauri caught a few tears falling to the ground.

" Sprx," Antauri began weakly," come here."

The red monkey shook his head while never looking up at his brother.

" No. I don't d-deserve t-to have y-your love."

Antauri swallowed hard, ignoring the pain his throat endured for a second. The second-in-command was trying his best to not just break down there and then from everything that has happened the past two weeks: Having to deal with Chiro's disappearance, the yelling, the stress put upon him, the fighting between them all, the searching of their leader, Sprx and him fighting, the meditation he just did, Sprx accidently conneting with him, and now he can't even comfort his sibling and himself because Sprx doesn't think he should be having compassion from Antauri.

But even through all these ordeals, Antauri never gave another thought to the problems when he tried coaxing his brother again.

" Sprx, come here," Antauri said ever so gently again as he had been doing this entire time.

" But I don't-"

" Hush... I don't care if you don't want to. I want you near me."

Sprx hesitated before moving to his brother's bed, never once looking up. When the red monkey was right at his bed near his side, Antauri couldn't help himself but let his hand instinctively go to the other's chin and lift his face up. The silver monkey felt his heart grow heavy from guilt.

Antauri saw his brother's tear-stricken face with his eyes full of auguish and tears while his bottom lip trembled once more. The silver monkey began to stroke Sprx's face to try and comfort him.

" Please don't cry. I hate it when you guys cry. It makes me feel like it was my fault it happened."

" Don't s-say that, Antauri. D-don't say that. You of all people should never blame yourself for anything. A-anything."

A tear fell from Sprx's eye, then another, and another. The stream of tears rolled down the monkey's face freely after saying that to Antauri. The silver monkey felt his heart grip in sorrow.

Antauri knew only one way to handle this situation. Leaving Sprx's face, the second-in-command spread out his arms for his brother.

" Sprx... let me comfort you. Please..."

The red monkey let out a loud sob before throwing himself at his brother, crying hysterical into Antauri at the crook of the other's neck and shoulder with his arms around his brother. Antauri wrapped his arms around his comrade, pulling him closer into him while returning to the massage, circle patterns on his brother's back to comfort his brother, Sprx. Like a mother would do for her young child.

Antauri used his telekinesis to pull the the blankets over him and his brother, who basically was sitting in his lap. After that, Antauri relaxed in his brother's hold on him as they just held each other. One crying quietly now while the other comforted.

It was hours before the rest of the brothers' siblings came home, finding the two of them clinging to each as if they were long, lost lovers who thought the other was dead. When Antauri saw the three staring at Sprx and him with shock looks, he only smiled at them and said " I'll tell you later" before falling unconcious. The silver monkey made sure he wouldn't have his body regenerize without knowing his brother was safe, and when he saw his three siblings, he knew Sprx was safe.

Sadly, Antauri never knew what was ever going on through Sprx-77's head when he regenerized:

_" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Antauri, for raping you."_

&&&&&

First off, I would like to apologize for anyone who was offended by this. I knew some people didn't wish to see anymore raping, but I had to put it in there. It just gave the story an even more angsty mood. So, once again: I apologize for offending anyone.

But I need help. I don't know if I should put this story in "M" after writing this chapter. I'm thinking about it, and by the looks of it, I might have to.

Oh, and people. There is no romance in this story. So there's no Chiro/Antauri in this story, nor is there Sprx/Antauri. There might be hints, but that's about it people. If you would like to see a story with these couplings just tell me and I'll think of some one-shots or/and stories for the couplings. They might have to be one-shots since I'm working on this story.

Sorry it took so long! I was just at a huge writers block and didn't know if I should write what happened in this chapter with Antauri and Sprx. I didn't want people to get angry at me or offended so I was deciding if I really should do what happened. I knew if I didn't, the chapter would be rather boring and I know how much you guys hate boring chapters. In my opnion, I think they're annoying.

Well, please review, and tell me how you think of this chapter. See ya!


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N: I NEED TO EXPLAIN ABOUT THE MONKEYS' BODY FUNCTION SINCE I BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE CONFUSED ABOUT SOME THINGS.**

**First, have any of you guys seen any male parts shown in the show? No. So, I decided that Sprx, Gibson, Otto, and Nova have buttholes ( and Nova has the female part too.) Those four are still part mammal and eat regular food as Chiro. So, they need to get some of that waste out of them some way. The four of them, though, have their bodies close up the holes if they wish, which they do for privacy. Also, the only living part the four have is eyes balls and a brain, remember? It was in an episode where this crazy computer was going to use Antauri's information to destroy the team and Super Robot.**

**Now, Antauri is fully robotic, and only needs two cups of food or water to keep him function ( they're like his blood cells when they enter his body.) So, he has no waste to give so he has no butthole. Also, with the guys having no male parts, it's because I decided that the Alchemist got rid of it when he built them as part robots. ( I already feel sorry saying it and doing this.) But, that doesn't mean the robots can't have sex. Don't worry, if you're confused, I'll try and explain everything I can in the next chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter Five

" I'll tell you later," was all Antauri said to his three siblings before giving into his body's need; the need to regenerize. Gibson couldn't bring anything out of his mouth as he watched his brother fall "asleep" with his chin over Sprx's head, who was cradled in his arms. The only thing the blue monkey could do was watch his brother cling to the silver monkey as if life depended it on it.

" Sprx...," Gibson began slowly as he carefully stepped towards his comrade. "Why don't you just let go of Antauri, and let me check over you two, hmm?" No response was given to the blue monkey. Nova and Otto, who were standing a foot or so behind Gibson, looked at each other for a split second before turning their attention back to the pilot in the bed.

" Come on, Sprx," Gibson tried again as he inched closer to the bed, " Just get out of the bed, and let me help you two." The blue monkey reached his hand over, and slowly, very slowly made contact with his brother's shoulder, but the moment his fingertips touched the pilot's shoulder, Sprx lashed out at him.

The red monkey turned half his body around in less than a second, and swiped with his claws at Gibson, but was only met with air. Gibson barely jumped out of the way from his brother's attack before watching Sprx growl at him with a warning tone in the sound.

" GET AWAY!" Sprx barked out while bringing his arms back around Antauri. "Don't you dare come near him..."

" Sprx! What has gotten into you?!" Nova exclaimed as she stepped right next to Gibson. She was about to say something else, but was silenced by Gibson's finger to her lips. He took it off instantly as she gave him a quizzical look, but did as he wanted.

Gibson averted his attention back to his two brothers. The blue monkey knew and saw that Antauri was in bad condition. After all, it was already hard enough to see the large gashes in the silver monkey's body. When he entered the room earlier and saw how the two were not fighting, but clinging to each other, he knew something was wrong. Not to mention the very fact that Antauri looked like he got the shit beaten out of him, and Sprx didn't run to his side, begging the scientist to help the second-in-command. That was why he spoke and came to his brother in a safe approach, but now, it looked like he had to make more of a demand approach.

" Sprx, what happened?' Gibson asked in a less friendlier tone than the one he used before. Once again, there was no response from the red monkey, but that didn't stop the blue monkey. " Sprx, what happened to Antauri?" Gibson questioned with the same tone.

A sniff escaped from the pilot. " M-me...," Sprx-77 whispered while never looking back. " M-me... A-an-tau-ri... I-I... I... I... I-"

" Sprx! What happened!" Gibson said, knowing that Antauri might not have enough time left to live.

" I-I...I-I..I...I-"

" Sprx, if you don't tell us what happened to Antauri, he could die! Now, tell us what happened-"

" I RAPED HIM!" Sprx yelled at his blue comrade, turning half around to face his three siblings.

Otto blanched at what he just heard as he held Nova, who covered her mouth with her hands, burying her face in his chest after the horrifying statement. Gibson, with wide shocked eyes, had his jaw drop to the floor at what he just heard. " Oh... my... God...," Otto barely spoke out.

"Sprx," Gibson started while feeling sick to his stomach, " what have you done?" The red monkey faced his back once again to his siblings, while sobbing a little bit from what he just told.

" I-It was an accident-"

Before Sprx could even say another word, Nova interrupted him, pulling herself angrily away from Otto's comforting chest to berate the pilot.

"- Accident?ACCIDENT! There are no accidents in RAPING SOMEONE, SPRX! You fucking raped, Antauri! YOUR OWN BROTHER! YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU-"

Before Nova could get her hands around the red monkey's throat, Gibson and Otto held her back with all their might, which was not an easy task to do for the two. " Let... me... GO!" Nova screeched at the top of her lungs. The two monkeys were having some more difficulities trying to handle their sister as she tried to escape from their grip.

" Nova, stop. Stop it. Nova- Ooof!" Gibson was flown back, followed by Otto soon after.

" AHHHHH!" Nova roared as she pulled Sprx away from Antauri and threw him to the ground. Sprx gave off a tiny scream when he fell on his back with the yellow monkey jumping on top of him. Before he knew it, Nova was beating the shit out of him. With every punch thrown at him, Nova allowed the anger and stress that had been piling on top of her day by day be let out. She probably had only a few seconds in this violence until Gibson and Otto pulled her off him. What she did though to him left a lot of tiny stratches and cuts on his face.

" Let go of me! That bastard deserves to DIE-"

" NOVA, STOP!" Otto yelled, finally allowing his voice to get an exercise like his two comrades. Nova ceased her struggling as she listened to her brother's words. " What Sprx did was wrong, but that doesn't give you the reason to kill him. Right now, our priority is to get Antauri into the medical bay and patch him up, and... get Sprx some help with his wounds, too, since you gave him some... cuts."

Nova sighed as she controlled her anger. " Alright, " she said calmed down, " let's get Antauri in the Medical Bay."

" And Sprx," Otto added in. The yellow monkey clenched her fists for a second before respounding quietly.

" And Sprx, too, but I'm not going to help him," Nova glanced at Sprx for a second on the ground holding his face in his hands as he sat up on the floor. Otto looked over his brother's way.

" I'll help him," he said.

" Good," Gibson said as he walked over to Antauri's form, getting the silver monkey out of the bed, " now that is settled, could you please help me, Nova."

" Of course, " she answered before walking over to her brother, grabbed Antauri's legs as Gibson grabbed under the silver monkey's arms. The two carried the second-in-command to the Medical Bay.

Otto went over to Sprx before kneeling right next to him in eye level. The green monkey looked over at his brother to see the damage his sister had done. There were no dents, but scratches on the face and chest that could be easily cleaned up if treated properly.

" I couldn't stop myself," Sprx whispered as he let his hands fall to the ground. Startled, Otto looked up at his brother, thinking if he should respond or not. He decided he should.

" What do you mean?"

Sprx didn't respond quickly like most people would, but paused, almost like he was thinking of something. His answer seemed to resemble as to what he was thinking.

" ... I was angry when I came to see him, but was even angrier at what he was doing."

By "him", Otto knew he was talking about Antaruri.

" What was he doing."

" He was... he was pleasuring himself."

" What? That's impossible!"

" Not to him it isn't."

" But how does he do it- I mean, continue..."

" Well, I was angry. _Really_ angry at him now. So, I was going to yell at him at what he was doing, until my hand touched him."

"Then what?" Now Otto was really curious at what made Sprx so... _"Horny." _Otto thought.

" I don't know what exactly happened, but... it felt like something entered my body. Almost like I was being controlled... At first, the feeling I felt was senseul as I gave myself and him pleasure. The frustration I felt once was gone. It was like... heaven. Until... until Antauri wanted me to stop. Before I knew it, I was... I was... I was fucking Antauri as if he was a whore that I wanted to quickly get rid of- to break him 'til he had no breath in him!" Sprx exclaimed as tears began to come at the brim of his eyes. " All the anger, all the frustration... I let _everything_ out on him, and... and... I liked it- no- LOVED it! I loved it when he moaned from my touches; I-I loved it when I heard him whimper from me hurting him; I loved it when I felt him underneath me, writhering in pain; I loved hearing his screams of pleading as I raped him to no extent!"

Sprx paused for a moment to allow his brother to look over at what he just said, and Otto did look over at the statements that were told. As disgusted and disturbed the green monkey was, the mechanic did want to know what happened next. He wasn't disappointed either as Sprx spoke up again.

" But... when I reached my climax, everything that I felt was gone, vanished; leaving me in an exhaustion point. Even the damn little voice in my head was gone finally."

" Little... voice? When did this happen?" Now Otto was _really_ curious as he gave his brother a confuse look.

" While I was trying to my control body, I guess you could say."

" You had no control?"

" No, none, nada. My physical form was no longer in my reach, but my mind- spirit- I still had control. When I realized this I tried to stop myself, but that was when that voice popped into my head. It sounded... exactly like me, but somehow... wasn't me... Oh, I don't know. I'm still a little... confuse about it."

The green monkey gave his brother a sympathitic look before patting the other's arm with his hand.

" It's ok Sprx. I understand everything you're going through-"

" But that's the problem, you DON'T!" Sprx exclaimed with his new found anger at what his brother just said. " You will never understand, until you fucking rape your brother, ANTAURI!" With that said, the red monkey ran out of the room with tears streaming down his face; Otto was stunned at the performance that had just unfolded. The next thing he heard was Sprx's door opening and closing.

The mechanic sighed as he slowly got off the ground, wondering what he was going to do now. The best option he thought he should do was let the red monkey blow off some steam... and tears. Satisfied with his answer enough as Otto still was worried about Sprx, the green monkey decided to check on Antauri, since he was also worried about him.

_**Medical Bay**_

" Hurry, put him on the table," Gibson instructed as he and his sister put the silver monkey on a table that was part of a catscan. After the first task was down, Gibson went to the control panel of the machine and pushed a few buttons before giving Antauri some scans.

The blue monkey watched as his brother went in the tunnel on the table. As the machine was scanning Antauri's body functions, Gibson was wondering what the hell happened._ " What forced Sprx to DO such a vile thing to Antauri? Antauri of all people!"_

" Why?" came a soft voice behind him. With his thoughts interrupted, Gibson turned around to face the yellow monkey. "Why?" Nova said a little more forceful with her voice as she squeezed her eyes shut. " Why did Sprx do this? W-why did he rape him? Why? WHY?" Before the blue monkey could say anything, Nova just fell to her knees and cried with her face in her hands.

" Nova!" Gibson called out before running to her side, kneeling down as he wrapped his arms around her. As soon as he did that, Nova put her face in his chest.

"Shhhh... everything is going to be okay." Gibson reassured her as he stroked her head. He allowed her to sob on him for as long as she needed. Secretly, he too needed to be reassured and with Nova clinging to him seemed to help. Laying his head on top of hers, he closed his eyes and did a silent sigh of relief.

The two stayed that way for as long as they possible could since this was, without a doubt, a rare moment in their lives. After a few minutes, though, Nova spoke up again.

" What's happening, Gibson? Why isn't everything a happy ending with us?"

" Now, now, don't say that. We defeated Skeleton King, and kept this city safe from any danger that threatened it. That's a happy ending."

" (sniff) Yeah, I guess, but look at us now. Chiro is gone, Sprx is a freak'in lunatic, and Antauri almost died... We're falling _apart_."

"No, we're not falling apart; we're just... lost."

" Lost?"

" Well, that is the most logical answer here."

" We're not looking for logical answers here, Gibson."

" Well, I know that-"

**"CATSCAN IS DONE," **announced the machine. As soon as they heard the machine, the two monkeys separated quickly and ran to the console. Gibson began to analyze the data.

" So, is he O.K.?"

" Luckily, Antauri only recieved scratches and dents, but the dents on his wrist look like... hand marks, and the dents between his legs... well, I... I think you know why the dents are so bad there."

Gibson made a quick glance to her and felt his heart sink as he turned back to the computer. He saw her tear-streaked face, and knew she shouldn't have one, but she did. _"Maybe we really are falling apart," _thought Gibson as he monitored each and every scan. _" No... I shouldn't think that way. We're just lost right now, that's all. Soon, we'll find ourselves back on track... I hope."_

After a few more minutes of researching the information, Gibson placed Antauri (with Nova's help) into one of his very own medical water tubes. Since the silver monkey didn't have to breath, the scientist didn't put a breathing mask on his face, but instead put a wire in the second-in-command's back to recharge him.

While Gibson was at the computer and punching in what Antauri needed to heal properly, the blue monkey couldn't help, but smile a little at the invention he had made. The equipment was meant to heal almost any kind of wound that was inflicted on both a human and a monkey team member; the water was the key ingredient. In the liquid's contents laid the tiniest of microscopic nanoprobes that were program to heal any dents to gashes on a speciman. Gibson thought that nanoprobes in a water tube would be a good way to heal someone because he believed that since water surrounded a body entirely, anything swirling around in there was bound to go near your body sooner or later, and with nanoprobes with propellers on them swam in the water, program to fix anything that the blue monkey told them to fix with his computer, the tiny machines went straight to the problem at the first sign of anything touching the water. Amazingly, his theory was proven true, thus giving him a new medical equipment to help him, his siblings, and leader with any trouble.

" Well, that's about all I could do," stated Gibson as he left the computer, and now stood in front of the glass tube that held Antauri. " The nanoprobes will have to do the rest."

Nova came by his side and stared at the silver monkey also, " How long until he's finish?"

" In twenty minutes or so; maybe even sooner. It depends how badly injured he is."

" He looks pretty bad."

" Well, even if he might look it, thankfully he wasn't as bad as I thought. If Sprx had done anything further with Antauri, Antauri would have one of his fluid tubes in him broken, but like I said, thankfully he wasn't as bad as I thought."

"... We shouldn't have let Sprx leave."

Gibson turned his head towards her, arching a brow a little at what she just said.

" What do you mean?"

" I mean, if we only knew what Sprx was going to do to Antauri we shouldn't have let him go."

" But Nova, no one would have known. It's just one of those things in life that couldn't have been changed."

" So, you mean raping your own brother is one of those things in life that couldn't be changed?"

" Well... um...-"

" I guess there's no 'logical answer' to that, is there, Gibson?"

" There could be-"

" No, there couldn't be because there isn't a logical answer."

" Well, what do you want me to say, Nova? That there was a chance to change something?"

" Yes."

" But what if there wasn't? What if this was meant to happen-"

" No, you're lying!"

" I'm not lying!"

" Yes, you are because you know there was a chance to stop this!"

" How could any of us stop this if we didn't- AHHH!"

Gibson yelped as he fell on his back with Nova on top of him. Apparently, she had shoved him on the ground, and plopped herself 'nicely' on him before berating him and banging on him.

" Don't you DARE finish that sentence! Don't you DARE!"

The blue monkey was finally getting upset about this whole situation, and decided to take control of this whole ordeal. With cat like reflexes, Gibson tossed Nova unto her back, and got on top of her. He quickly put her hands above her head so she wouldn't try anything. Inching closer to her face so he was just only a few centimeters from her lips, Gibson began to give her a piece of his mind.

" You know what? You aren't the only one here who is wounded by this. I'm sorry, though, that I said we couldn't change anything, but the fact is that we _can't_ change anything right now. What's done is done. So, either you stop feeling guilty about this and getting angry at everyone else or so help me, Nova, I'll make sure that I'll keep your ass locked in your room until this entire... _mess_ is done. Am I understood?"

Nova stared at him in disbelieve, but it was soon replaced by realization. She knew she was overreacting, and also knew that what Gibson said made since: What's done is done.

" Yes..."

" Good, now you better stop fooling around here or I'm going to have come barging in and show you a thing or two."

" Will you now? Well, maybe I should take you up on that offer," Nova said jokingly with her brother picking up on it also and going along with it.

" I'll like to see you try."

" Oh, I'll show you."

" So will I."

" Then, what are you waiting for, Gibson?"

" The same thing that your waiting for."

" And what's that?"

" My-"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Otto yelled as he ran over to the two and threw Gibson off of his sister.

" Otto! What in the world are you doing?" Gibson asked him as he got back on his feet as Nova did the same.

" What am I doing? I'm stopping you from having sex with Nova-"

"WHAT!!" Nova and Gibson said in uinson.

" Well, I heard you guys talking about it."

" Just right now?" Nova asked. The green monkey nodded. " Otto, me and Gibson were justing playing around about what he just said."

" But Gibson was going to say 'my penis'-"

" Good heavens, no! I was going to say 'my body off of you', and besides, none of us have a penis to even have sex with."

Otto thought for a moment about this little event before slowly blushing. "Opps... Well, I guess that's what I get for leavesdropping."

"Um. Otto," Gibson started, " it's eavesdropping."

"..."

The green monkey began scratching his head at this. " Really?"

" Yes."

" Oh, well... um... what were you guys doing, then?"

The yellow and blue monkey glanced at each other before Nova said, " It's sort of a long story."

" Oh, well, that's okay. You'll just tell me about it over a pot of cocoa, and maybe you can tell me how Antauri's doing after... um... you know..."

The scientist sighed for a moment before nodding. " Alright, but as long as you tell me what took you and Sprx so long- wait a minute. Where is Sprx?" Gibson asked suspiciously.

" He sort of needed to blow off some steam. I mean, if you hear the things that he told me, you wouldn't blame him for blowing some steam off."

" Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go make some cocoa and exchange 'stories'," Nova volunteered. The two males looked at each other for a moment before nodding towards their sister.

" Ok," Otto started, " but what about Antauri?"

" He'll be fine," Gibson answered him. " He's not going to go anywhere while being in that tube."

Satisfied with the answer, Otto led the way out of the med. bay, and to the kitchen with his siblings trailing behind. The three of them were going to have a long talk with each other, a _very_ long talk.

&

Antauri stirred into conciousness only a few minutes after his three siblings left the medical bay. His body felt numb to him while he tried to move his limbs. The silver monkey didn't understand why he felt like he was floating until he forced himself to open his sleepy eyes. Antauri's mind became confuse as to why he was in a tank full of water since the last thing he remembered was being on his bed with Sprx in his arms, trying to comfort his brother as best he could since he accidently came in contact with him while he was connected to Chiro, and-

_"CHIRO!"_ Antauri's mind screamed at him. _"Oh my God! I have to get to him before it's too late!"_

Antauri tried his best to move around the tube, but something was keeping him in place. The silver monkey confused even more by this, decided to take one limb at a time as fast as he could to try and see why he was stuck. He decided to try and make his hand touch the glass. As he brought his hand near it, though, he saw a tiny spiral of water come suddenly to his extended hand and arm before forcing it gently back to his side.

Antauri narrowed his eyes at this. _"I don't have time to be stopped. I need to get to Chiro!"_ he thought angerily. At this thought, he became even more determined. He once again brought his hand to try and touch the glass, but the spiral water was back there again in a blink of an eye, trying to stop him like before. Yet, this time, Antauri wasn't going to be so linient like before. Frustrated, angry, and determined, the silver monkey used his physic powers to stop the tiny spiral, but the spiral seemed to not give up in its quest as well.

Now Antauri was getting _really_ mad.

From his anger continuing to boil up inside him, his eyes turned into a light of purple while his body's outside form took on a purple sheen as well. Without even realizing it, Antauri allowed his powers to get the best of him and the the first thing he did was crush the tiny spiral of water. It disappeared instantly and Antauri smirked at this until he realized that a bigger spiral of water had his body captured.

Antauri growled at this.

The silver momkey increased his power before concentrating on the whirlwind to exterminate them. In less than a second, Antauri had eradicted it. He didn't have time to celebrate his tiny victory after he relaxed himself since he felt a little exhausted afterwards, and went to the first task that was at hand before.

Using his claws, Antauri took both of his hands and tried to claw his way out. The glass endured stratches, but it didn't even show the first sign of breaking. Frustrated and concerned about Chiro, Antauri decided to try his body force. He brought his feet up to the opposite side of the tube before pushing himself into the glass in front of him, and again, and again, and again. On his fifth try, the glass began to crack.

Desperate to escape his cylinder tube, Antauri took one last push off the glass and into the opposite side. This time, he succeeded.

The sound of glass breaking and water splashing on the tile was heard throughout the entire room. Antauri not a second later tumbled right after this since the cord that was attached to his head was sliced from the broken glass on top of the tube. He landed right in the huge puddle of water and glass, and for a moment, he just laid there with his face to the side while his front side of his body had to endure the needle pressure of glass poking in his body.

The silver monkey heard an alarm going off after he broke through the tube with the words "HEALING PROCESS INCOMPLETE" blaring off through the robot, but the second-in-command only ignored it.

Antauri felt the cold air on his back as he laid there in the glass and lukewarm water, thinking of what he was suppose to do until he remembered that he had to go save Chiro. Groaning as he made his weak body push itself up onto wobbly legs, Antauri stood there for a moment so he could stop the dizziness. It probably took about a minute or so before it stopped, but as soon as it did, the silver monkey went on all fours like a dog before running out of the medical room.

&

"I'm not going to lie," Otto said. "Sprx needs some help."

The three monkeys were in the living room while waiting for the coco on the stove to be done; each one of them sat in their own chair instead of on the couch. They didn't feel like getting close to each other because they didn't want to think about what had just happened between their two comrades when _they _got close- even if they (the three monkeys) knew they wouldn't do that to each other.

"Really, Otto? When did you think Sprx needed the help? When he was getting pissy at everyone or after he raped Antauri?" Asked Nova causticly.

"Nova. Stop it," Gibson demanded. He wasn't in the mood to deal with an upset, female monkey right now. Nova glared at him for a moment before settling more in her chair to try and relax, no matter how hard it was.

"Anyway...," Otto began to get his siblings' attention, "The reason why I think Sprx needs help is because... he, um... talks to...himself."

"What?" Gibson asked confused.

"Well, after you two left, me and Sprx started to talk about... Well, you _know_," Otto emphasized on the 'know' so his siblings would understand what he was talking about. "He said that this little voice was talking to him the entire time while he tried to gain control of his body."

"What do you mean he had no control of his body?" Nova asked while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I don't get it myself, but Sprx said that he somehow had control of his mind, but not his body, and when he tried to stop what he was doing, this little voice came in his head. What were they talking about? I have no idea. I guess it had to do with what he was doing to... Antauri..." Otto's voice trailed off after saying his brother's name. It was still a shock for the green monkey to know that his brother, Antauri, was raped by his sibling. Even if he didn't know if the other monkeys and him were related, they were all raised as a family, and finding out that his two brothers had a go at it just made him feel a little sick.

"Great... Having Sprx hear voices in his head just adds to the difficulties in our _wonderful_ lives," Nova drastically stated with her hands thrown up in the air. The blue monkey narrowed his eyes at this comment she made. He cleared his throat to get her attention before saying anything.

"Nova, now is not the time for you to be sarcastic with this situation. Sprx hearing voices is a _serious_ problem, _especially_ with what had just happened not too long ago with him and Antauri," Gibson saw what looked like guilt flash pass her facial features after saying the second-in-command's name, which made him happy to know that she might just be understanding the situation a little bit better. "Now, what I need from you Nova is some cooperation and help with what had just transcended between our two siblings. The voices that Otto told us could be the reason why Sprx decided to... _do_ what he did to Antauri. Even if he is at fault with what had just happened, it isn't his entire fault.. So, with that in mind, I would like you to either keep your opinions to yourself or leave if you can't shut that mouth of yours. Which one will it be?"

Nova mumbled something which neither Gibson or Otto could make out.

"What was that? I'm afraid we couldn't hear you since you were mumbling," Gibson said. Nova growled a little at her brother while her eyes slitted from anger.

"I said," the yellow monkey began dryly, " that I don't want to leave."

Gibson held his smile in so he wouldn't upset his sister before bringing his full attention on Otto once more.

"Otto," Gibson said, "is that all you learned from Sprx?"

"Well...," Otto started, "...no."

"Do you care to tell us?"

"I...uh... don't think you want to know..."

"And why would I not want to know? Otto, whatever information you are holding from us you have to tell Nova and me. This could be crucial with what had just happened, and if this new behavior will continue on in the future. So, please, Otto. Tell us."

Otto was still hesitant about this whole ordeal and a little afraid to give off the rest of his information about Sprx-77- especially with Nova close by. Yet, the green monkey knew that if he didn't there might be a chance that something horrible will happen to Antauri again or to him and his other two comrades.

Taking a deep breath after making up his mind, Otto began to speak.

"Besides the little voice, Sprx also said... he said... that he liked everything he did to Antauri- and I mean _everything_. From the kissing to the humping, to the biting and Antauri's screams. He basically _loved _it."

Nova gave the green monkey a disgusted look while Gibson had a look of shock plastered on his face. The first one to recover from their shock was Nova.

"Oh...my...God... Sprx is insane. If we only knew he was going to do this, we might have had a chance to stop him, but...," Nova trailed off while looking towards Gibson with a sad expression, "...there was no way of knowing." Her final statement reflected on what the blue monkey had told her earlier, which Gibson caught from his sister's expression on her face and the tone that her voice took: Acceptance.

The three monkeys sat in silence while thinking about what had just been said. There _was_ no way of knowing, and unfortuantely, they all understood this. Just like with Chiro, they knew no matter what they did or said, nothing was going to change the fact that Chiro had runaway. With the thought of his leader in his mind, Otto sighed heavily.

"I miss Chiro," the green monkey said.

"We all do, Otto," Gibson responded while stating the obvious. "We all do..."

Silence once again had fallen in the living room with the three monkeys. Hearing their leader's name out in the open had made them once again feel the sadness that they had to endure these past couple of weeks. The name also brought up memories that held frustration and at times, anger from all the things that the team had to do.

Realizing that he brought this awkward silence, Otto decided to bring up another subject that may break the thickness in the air.

"So...ah... You guys never told me how Antauri is," Otto stated. His change of subject seemed to work since it brought his two teammates out of their thoughts and into reality.

"Huh? Oh, right... Well, um... Antauri had quite a lot of dents and scratches on his body while we had the machines check to see if he had any major damages on or _in _his body. Thankfully, he was only lucky enough to have the dents and scratches instead of anything broken. He's doing fine right now. Nova and I put him in own of my tubes to heal his injuries," Gibson responded.

"Well, that's good, but...um... aren't you guys worried he might fall out or something?"

"Otto, don't be silly. The glass on the tubes are so thick that it would be impossible for Antauri to 'fall out' as you put it. Also, the nanoprobes in the water will make sure Antauri makes no movements so he couldn't injure himself any further or get out of the tube."

"Are you sure? You do know that Antauri can phase through walls and stuff, right?"

"Of course I know that, but with Antauri unconcious at the moment, I do believe it is quite impossible for him to do any phasing."

"What if he is awake?"

"Well, if he was awake, he still couldn't phase out of my tube."

"How come?"

"Because the nanoprobes would prevent him from doing so."

"But what if he tried to break through the glass?"

"Then that would be a waste of time since the nanoprobes would STOP any of his movements."

"What if he destroyed your nanoprobes?"

"How could he if he has no movement?"

"I don't know. I just thought that since it's Antauri, he always finds a way to escape some how."

"Well, this is one thing that Antauri could never escape from."

"Never?"

"_Never_."

"I don't know..."

Gibson sighed in frustration.

"Otto, how come it is so hard for you to believe me when I say that Antauri can't escape from the tube?"

"Well... It could be that Antauri can do telekenesis, or the fact that he has very sharp claws-"

"-How many times do I have to tell you that it's impossible for Antauri to break out of the tube? There is no way, and I mean absolutely NO way that Antauri can escape from the-"

"HEALING PROCESS INCOMPLETE(beep)HEALING PROCESS INCOMPLETE(beep)HEALING PROCESS INCOMPLETE(beep)HEALING PROCESS INCOMPLERE"

Red lights went off in the Super Robot which signaled that the alarm was on, along with the never ending phrase that clearly stated that something or _someone_ wasn't completely fixed.

"Hey, Gibson, does that signal mean that Antauri escaped your tube thingy?" Otto asked.

Gibson's left eye twitched.

"...Yes, Otto. It does."

Otto smirked a little at this. _"The great Mr. Hal Gibson actually made a mistake. What a perfect way to annoy him!" _Thought the green monkey before an evil idea came to him. Opening his mouth, Otto began to chant something that surely did annoy the blue monkey.

"Gibson sucks since Antauri escaped! Gibson sucks since Antauri escaped! Gibson sucks since Antauri escaped! Gibson sucks since Antauri escaped!"

Each time Otto said this, Gibson's body began to shake from anger.

"Gibson sucks since Antauri escaped! Gibson sucks since Antauri escaped! Gibson sucks since Antauri escaped!"

It irritated (and somewhat embarrassed) him until the blue monkey yelled out.

"WIIL YOU SHUTUP!"

Stopping in his chanting, Otto cocked his head to the side with an innocent look before asking, "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

"Grrrr... You...You...You are SO dead!" Gibson exclaimed. He was about to lunge at his sibling and tear him apart when all of a sudden someone had grabbed his arm.

"Gibson!" Nova said to get his attention. "We don't have time to quarrel. We have to see what happened to Antauri!"

His anger beginning to seep away, Gibson realized that Nova was right and tried to get a hold on his senses.

"You're absolutely right, Nova. Quick you two, we have to see if Antauri is oka-GAH!"

Before Gibson could finish his sentence, the blue monkey was knocked down to the ground by what felt like a bull ramming into him. Instead of meeting a crazed bull when opening his eyes, Gibson was met with Antauri (who was on top of him since the silver monkey ran him to the ground), who was in the process of rubbing his head from the impact.

Gasps were heard from his two siblings from what had happened as well as Gibson saying out in surprise, "Antauri?!"

Instead of receiving an answer, he was granted with the silver monkey recovering from what looked like a headache, then scrambling off of him and running on all fours towards the exit of the Super Robot.

Slowly, but dumbfounded and confused as well, Gibson got up and stared where Antauri ran off to before glancing towards his two siblings, who also glanced at each other from confusion.

"Okay... I never would have expected that to happen..." Gibson said while trailing off.

"So...Does that mean Antauri's fine?" Otto asked.

Nova and Gibson exchanged glances before looking towards their mechanic and saying in unison, "No." Then, they ran after their second-in-command, leaving the green monkey all by himself.

"Hey, wait! You could have told me you guys were going to run after him!" Otto bellowed out before he went to go catch up with his comrades.

&

_"They never came... None of them came to save me, including Antauri. I guess... he's right. No one loves me, and no one is going to come rescue me... I can't believe I actually thought of them as 'family'... What a joke... Maybe... with this truth... I can finally let go of my life and just... die..." His eyes slowly opened and gazed through the window upward. "Pity I couldn't drown in the lake outside. At least... I would have died with some peace..."_

That was the last thing Antauri heard in Chiro's mind before he came back to his own. If it wasn't for Sprx-77 connecting with him, Antauri might have never been able to return to his funcioning mind, while at the same time, it clouded the silver monkey's mind to actually register what had been said at the end. Yet, Antauri didn't fully regret it. He saw when he came into reality that Sprx needed him to comfort him from what torture he had to endure while connected to the sterling monkey.

Antauri felt terrible about what had happened to Sprx, but knew there was nothing he could change. His comrade, his friend, had become one with Chiro's rapist. This connection surely did surprise the silver monkey but at the same time, it helped him focus on his world _and _Chiro's world; it was kind of like Antauri had one eye looking through Chiro's and the other looking in his.

He remembered how he comforted Sprx with his open hug and supporting words. It also made Antauri feel that after this incident had happened and the comfort he gave to the red monkey, the sterling monkey believed that the anger and gap that grew between the two had finally settled into a calm connection; even when it happened under such a horrific event. Comforting the red monkey also brought some sort of tranquility to his mind since Antauri knew that he needed some sort of love from his siblings instead of the yelling, silent treatment, and the pall of sadness hanging over Antauri's and his comrades' heads.

The silver monkey didn't know how long Sprx-77 and him stayed holding each other until his other siblings came back. Antauri wasn't too sure what would happen to the red monkey once he shut down, but hoped that the Gibson, Otto, and especially, Nova, didn't go straight into violence with the pilot. Yet, Antauri took his chances with a few words to spare to his siblings before going into a complete shut down.

Instantly, the silver monkey went back to the gruesome scene of what had just happened to Chiro over, and over, and over, and over again until Antauri basically remembered the entire painful event. It literally made the sternling monkey get madder after every replay with what that man did to the boy that he started to feel his claws itching for a few slashes on the older male's face and body.

He didn't know how long it was until he finally heard the last thing that Chiro thought of before Antauri fully returned to his own mind. The boy's thought broke the spiritual monkey's heart, especially when he said that he, Antauri, didn't come rescue him...and never would. The silver monkey believed for a moment that maybe he really couldn't save the boy in time, but it all changed instantly when he heard Chiro think, _"Pity I couldn't drown in the lake outside..."_

After that had been uttered in the boy's mind, Antauri knew he could and _**would **_rescue the boy before it was too late because the silver monkey knew that in all of Shuggazoom, there is only one lake.

That was where he was going, Crystal Lake, running on all fours. His feet pounded on the cobbled stone before he turned a left down a street and now ran on dirt, that was kicked up by him. Antauri noticed how the ground was still moist from the showers that had gone off earlier that day, making his claws that he made come out dig deep into the earth. The silver monkey felt that he was so close, so _**very**_ close to Chiro now as he passed by trees that had died and dried up weeds surrounding this certain type of terrain. It made the whole scenery resemble something creepy and morbid to any one's mind.

What felt like an eternity to him, Antauri finally came to his destination. The sterling monkey stopped for a moment and just looked around the area Upon seeing the mast lake, he also noticed a broken down two-story house and a small, wooden pier that went out into the clear and serene water. He also noticed how late it was in the day since the silver monkey saw the orange/pink sky shown with the blazing, reddish/orange sun slowly disappearing out into the horizon.

"I'm coming, Chiro," Antauri said before he ran once again on all fours towards the rickety, old house. As he got closer to the two-story house, he noticed how the brown paint was chipping off, along with a few broken windows and parts of the roof patched up with wooden boards nailed to its old wood. The oak tree next to the house looked dried up to the bone and was most likely dead for a very long time. The silver monkey also noticed the broken stepping stones to the stratched up, front door. There was also no sign of green grass, or green anything in this nightmarish place.

Antauri didn't stop when he came upon the front door. Instead, he sped up, and just rammed himself straight threw it. The wood broke easily from his massive impact as he rolled onto the the wooden floor. His ears instantly picked up the familiar sound of television in a nearby room, along with the smell of something rotton floating in the air. He also didn't miss the sound of someone's scream of surprisement ring through the broken down home.

"CHIRO!" Antauri yelled out in the house. He didn't care if the kidnapper had heard him since he was actually hoping he could beat the living shit out of the man. That was when Antauri's nostrills picked up the most wonderful smell, yet terrifying as well: Chiro's scent mingled with his own blood. He lifted his head up for half a second to find the boy's location. The silver monkey found the scent's origin upstairs and straight down the hallway.

Not waiting for another moment, Antauri raced up the stair's steps and down the hallway to where the only room was. His heart's rate went a little faster as he came closer to the closed door. _"I'm almost there, Chiro" _he thought to himself. _"I'm almost there."_

Antauri bursted through the door before skidding to a stop. His light, blue eyes widened as they caught sight of something sprawled out on the ground before he gasped out loud. There, lying in a bloody heap was no other but Chiro.

"CHIRO!" Antauri exclaimed before he ran to the boy's body. The monkey fell to his knees as he got to his leader, scanning over the damage the raven-haired teenager's body had on it. He first noticed that Chiro was completely naked before gazing over the massive large, blue bruising and open gash cuts on his pale skin.

The silver monkey noticed the boy's face was unrecognizable with all the brusies, cuts, and blood that coated his face and skin. Antauri had to close his eyes for a moment before opening them back up. "Why?" he asked out in the open. "Why did he hurt you?"

The sterling monkey shook his head a couple of times so he could stop himself from breaking down and crying right there and then. He knew that if he was going to get the two of them out of here safe and sound, Antauri needed to be level-headed and in control with the situation that was at hand. Calming down a tiny bit, Antauri opened his eyes and stared for a moment at Chiro. Slowly, yet confident, Antauri brought his trembling hand to the boy's hair and began to stroke his friend's hair in a slow pace.

Antauri noticed Chiro sigh at this in what sounded like contentment, bringing a small smile to the silver monkey's lips.

"An...tauri? Is...is th-that really...you?"

The sterling monkey's hand paused for a sec at the sound of the raspy, yet familiar sound of Chiro's voice. Antauri's heart skipped a beat at the sound before he continued stroking the boy's hair again.

"Yes, Chiro... It's me. I'm here now. You don't have to worry anymore. I've come to rescue you."

After this had been said, Antauri noticed Chiro's eyelids twitching before slowly pulling up, so they could reveal marvelous baby, blue eyes. The silver monkey saw how much raw emotions were shown in those eyes, but before he could decipher any, Antauri was brought back to the child's voice.

"It really... is you."

Antauri smiled widely at this before sniffing and trying his best to hold in his tears that had come back.

"Yes, it's...it's me."

Chiro's bottom lip began to tremble as his eyes filled up with tears before he rasped out more to his friend.

"I...I thought I would never see you again."

Chiro shut his eyes for a moment, which resulted in a few of his tears spilling out from the side of his eyes and sliding down his face, before opening them back up once more. The child also sniffed a little from the cause of going to cry...again. This action caused Antauri to wipe away the few tears that escaped with his other free hand, using his thumb to gently pick up the wetness off the boy's face.

"It's okay, Chiro," Antauri said soothingly. "I'm here now. Everything is going to be alright."

Chiro let a few more tears fall down from his eyes as he gave his mentor a small smirk. Antauri gave the child a warm smile to reassure the boy that he would be fine and in safety's hands now.

They were like think, grinning at each other, for only a few seconds before Chiro's smirk faltered and his eyes widened with terror. Antauri became concern suddenly.

"Chiro, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly. That was when he heard the sound of a step behind him. As Antauri twisted half his body around to face who was behind him, it was already too late.

When his eyes came in contact with the intruder, Antauri's face was suddenly collided with the hard wood of what looked like a baseball bat. The powerful impact sent the monkey flying half across the room and hitting the wall before he fall to the ground in a dusty heap.

"You thought you could take him away from me? You _**filthy**_ primate actually believed you could waltz right in here and just take him away...from ME?" Exclaimed a deep, masculine voice.

Antauri's head throbbed with pain as he slowly opened his dazed eyes. He moaned a little from the pain but quickly got over it when he realized who had spoken to him. Sitting straight up now, while trying his best to ignore the dizziness, Antauri saw none other than the kidnapper standing over Chiro's body. Memories from what the man did to Chiro from his connection with the boy made the silver monkey grit his teeth and slit his eyes dangerously at the rapist.

"_**Get away from him**_...," Antauri growled out while baring his teeth to the man.

"I don't think so," the kidnapper said before he bent down and grabbed the boy's neck, and hosted the boy up in the air. Chiro gave a short cry to this action and a flimsy attempt of getting out of the hold. Antauri screeched at this before yelling at him.

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

The man only smirked at the silver monkey before having a small glint in his eye. "Alright. If you truly don't want me near him...," Suddenly, the man tossed Chiro out the open door before the boy landed on the hard, wooden floor. The sterling monkey only gasped with shock as he didn't have time to react to this transaction,"...I won't be near him."

In less than a second after this had been said, Antauri finally snapped. With his anger, frustation, and everything else that happened to him over the past three weeks, Antauri didn't waste a second of this tormented downpour disappear. He lunged out at the man with a battle scream and claws. Before Chiro's kidnapper could hit the silver monkey with his baseball bat, Antauri had punched it out of the rapist's hand and began attacking the man.

Each time his claws came in contact with the man's flesh and body, Antauri's fury was put into it, making each hit worse after the other. The silver monkey screeched at the top of his lungs, making him look more of a wild animal than ever before. It wasn't long until the man fell to the ground while screaming and trying his best to get the monkey off him, but Antauri wouldn't allow it.

He would never allow it until he felt like the man was shredded into pieces under his claws.

Blood splattered over the two bodies as their two different types of screaming was heard throughout the house and most likely outside.

"Die, you monster, DIE!" Antauri spat out as his claws ripped at the fragile skin beneath him. As the silver monkey was getting ready for his final blow, he suddenly felt the power primate tremble in him with alertness about Chiro. He stopped in mid motion as he realized what the power primate was trying to tell him:

_**Chiro is about to kill himself. **_

As sudden as the thought was received in his mind, Antauri quickly leaped off the man while forgetting all about him and immediately ran down the stairs and out the broken down door as he went to save Chiro, his leader, his student, his friend... his son... from certain death.

&

Chiro's body shook with pain as it hit the hardwood floor from his kidnapper's throw. He laid there for a second, trying his best to get rid of the massive headache and pain that he felt at the momemt. It didn't last too long, though, when he suddenly heard Antauri scream and attack his tormentor.

Hearing the action take place literally scared him. Chiro was so frightened at the moment because he was afraid that if his kidnapper won, Chiro would stay as the man's slave for as long as the man allowed it; it was going to be punishment for Antauri trying to rescue him. The thought of having a slow, and painful death didn't sooth the child's mind. Even though the rational part of his mind told him that he should believe in Antauri winning, Chiro didn't have the strength and courage to agree with this part of the mind anymore. Instead, he allowed his out of balance, emotional, and irrational section of his mind take over and decided to agree with whatever it thought of.

The first thing that came to his mind was: Suicide.

Chiro grinned a little at the thought since back then he would have been hesitant to actually proceed in this type of death, but after what he had been through for the past couple of weeks, Chiro found this idea inviting and knew that he was ready for it at last.

With sudden determination, Chiro began to drag his broken, bloody body across the floor to the stairs. He knew only one place where he wanted to kill himself, the lake. The thought of his blood flowing out of his body as he floated in the water's slow currents brought a strange sense of comfort and peace to the boy's mind. So, with this in mind, Chiro forced his body to keep move.

As he reached the stairs, Chiro didn't know how to get down them at first until he decided that he should just do the same thing like he did before coming to the steps. So, the boy made his tired body be dragged down the steps. Each time his abdomen came in contact with a step, Chiro had to feel and endure the flash of pain that the contact did to his broken body, but he still didn't stop. The child keep on going until he was finally on the first floor of the house. He took a short breather before doing his next task, standing on his two feet.

The thought of doing such a simple action already made Chiro shudder, but the boy knew he had to do this if he needed to reach the lake in time. Limbs trembling as his body shook with pain, Chiro slowly began his ascend to standing. It took him a few minutes until he was on his two feet and leaning against the stain wall. Chiro's breathing came in harsh gasps as it had to be forced into such an extraneous act, so the teen just stood leaning against the wall until he caught his breath. After he felt like he was ready to moving, Chiro began to walk down towards the kitchen.

Putting all his weight on his left foot, since he believed his other foot was broken or at least fractured , Chiro limped his way to the kitchen. As he arrived, the raven-haired child scanned for anything sharp for him to cut himself with. His eyes caught sight of a steak knife lying on the counter. Smirking, Chiro made his way to the knife, picked it up, and started to proceed to the lake, which held his death.

As he came to the front door, Chiro didn't even have to open it since the door was smashed open enough for him to get through. When his bare feet came in contact with the moist ground, he sighed. The boy never realized how much he missed the feel of _**mud**_ between his toes, but apparently, he did.

"I'm going to miss this," Chiro said softly to himself, "but only for a little bit."

Then, he began to limp forward, with the steak knife tightly in his grasp while hearing screams coming from the house, towards the pier. Chiro tried to take in some of the scenery as he came closer and closer to his peaceful death. He noticed that around this lake, nothing was green nor was there anything growing, but he didn't care. Somehow, he found this hideous landscape beautiful to what he was living in. His favorite thing about it was definitely the sky and lake.

He found the sky looking like a masterpiece with its bright colors brushed against the blue as it tried to be the background of the blazing, evening sun that lit the sky up.

The lake looked calm and innocent to his eyes as it continued to flow in a peaceful manner. It almost seemed like it wasn't controlled by time itself since it just kept on moving in its own motion.

When Chiro finally came in contact with the wood from the pier, he slowed down a bit so he could try and relax before his big 'event'. As he sauntered with a limp towards the end of the pier, Chiro heard the screaming getting louder from the house. Startled from the increase of the volume, the boy made his steps quicker until he met the end of the pier.

When he got there, Chiro gazed down into the lake's surface and saw the reflection of his wounded, naked body getting ready to slice his wrists open. He gave his reflection a small smile.

"Well," he said as he talked to himself through the water, "I guess this is how I end my life. It's... kind of funny to think that after all I did for the good in this life, this is what I was given as thanks. " Chiro paused for a moment before he licked his dried lips. "You know what I'm going to miss in this life? The monkey team. I... know I'll miss Otto's jokes... Gibson's scientific explanations to everything in life... Nova's company when I was lonely... Sprx's funny punch lines... and Antauri's... Antauri's loving comfort... Oh, Monkey Team... I'm going to miss you so much. Do not think that I won't forget you. You guys were the closet thing I could ever have as...a family, but..." His hand began to bring the knife to his scarred, left wrist, "...I can't let _him_ have me ever again."

Chiro slowly brought the knife across his skin with enough pressure to draw a thin line of red. He hissed from the sudden stinging until it came to a numbing feeling. Then, he brought the blade a little higher above his self-made cut and proceeded in digging in deeper. He gasped at the pain that came along with it, but soon smirked once it was finished.

"You would think cutting wouldn't be as painful after what I've gone through, but apparently, it is."

Chiro paused for a moment to watch the dark liquid slide down his skin, off his finger tips, and fall onto the pier's moist wood. A ghost of a smile traced his lips before he decided to have his other wrist match the other. Switching the steak knife into his left hand, the raven-haired boy sliced the wrist like the other, watching for a moment like he did for the other.

At that moment, Chiro closed his eyes and lifted his face towards the sky before spreading his arms out a little. It was his way of showing the world that he, Chiro, the leader of the Hyper Force, was going to finally give himself up to death and leave his life in the mortal world forever.

He was finally going to be bleeding crimson red.

A single tear suddenly came from the corner of Chiro's eye and slid down the side of his face; he smiled at this.

Before he did anything, Chiro took one last big breath before saying his last word to all the people that he had ever loved in life:

"Goodbye..."

Slowly, he brought the steak knife towards his exposed throat, ready to end his life at last. As the blade got closer, his hand never trembled from fear that he once possessed, nor did he have the thought of turning back for the sake of anyone. No... Chiro felt that now he could do it, now he could leave, now... he could die in peace-

"-CHIRO!"

Chiro suddenly snapped his eyes open at the sound of someone calling out his name. Bringing his arm down, he swiftly turned half his body around to see who had interrupted him. His eyes widened in shock. There, running towards him on all fours with some blood coating his form, was Antauri. Panic suddenly grew in the pit of his stomach as he now realized what was going to happen next.

He wasn't going to die.

_"But I need to DIE!" _He yelled in his mind._ "He'll come back for me. He'll hurt me! He'll USE ME LIKE A WHORE!"_

With fear clouding his mind, Chiro swiftly brought the knife to his throat and was ready to slash it open.

"NO!" He heard Antauri scream.

Chiro ignored the silver monkey, and went on slicing his fragile skin... or he tried to, at least. The boy tried all his might to bring that sharp metal to slash out at him, but it wouldn't bunge. The stupid thing was stuck in the air.

Chiro growled from frustation at this.

Turning his head to peek over his shoulder, Chiro saw Antauri now on his two feet while being about in the middle of the pier. He also noticed the silver monkey's hand in air with the purple glow surrounding it.

"Let go of it, Antauri!" Chiro exclaimed to the monkey. "It's too late. _**You**_ were too late!"

"It doesn't have to be this way, Chiro," The silver monkey called out. "You don't have to die!"

"But I want to die. I _**need**_ to die!" Chiro's grip tightened around the knife's handle after he yelled this out while still trying to move the sharp blade.

"Why? Why do you have to die!"

"Because he'll come for me, and I won't LET HIM! NOW LET GO!"

"No, Chiro! I won't."

"Antauri, PLEASE! I don't want him... I don't want him to...Argh! Just let me die!"

"Please, Chiro," Antauri said while beginning to take one step at a time towards the boy. "Please don't do this. Please..."

Chiro noticed the sterling monkey getting closer to him.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to get you out of here, alive-"

"-You can't! It's too late! You-you never... never came for me. You weren't there after all the times I screamed for you to help me from what that... that... _**monster**_ was doing to me! I ...I... I needed you, Antauri, but you left me to rot in this _**hellhole**_!"

"Chiro, _please_! I tried! I tried all day and night to find you, and rescue you, and now I have. You're safe now. That person will _**never**_ lay another finger on you ever again! I swear to it."

Antauri was finally right behind the boy. Chiro saw the silver monkey's hand reach out for him. The metallic hand came in contact with his left elbow, making Chiro shiver a little from the cool touch.

"Just let go of the knife. Please, Chiro, please...," Antauri pleaded in a much softer tone now. Chiro saw Antauri begin to tremble as the monkey's eyes filled up with tears. "Please... please don't leave us, Chiro. We need you. _I_ need you... _Please..._I...I...I..."

Tears began to fall from the silver monkey's eyes now while he tried so hard to find the right words to say to the boy. Chiro saw the tears escaping from the monkey's eyes, and couldn't help himself but feel tears come to his own eyes. The child sniffed a couple of times before he saw Antauri about to speak again.

"...Chiro...I... I... I _love_ you... I love you so much, and so does the rest of the team. You're... you're family to us, and if you were gone from our lives, _my_ life, I... I don't know what I would do... I-I wouldn't know what life would be like without you!... Just...please. Don't die...don't leave me here all by myself...Please, Chiro, please... I love you... "

Once the words left Antauri's mouth, Chiro couldn't hold it in any longer; he began to cry. He cried at the thought of his mentor... his best friend... actually needing him and loving him. The boy suddenly felt regret from the actual thought of killing himself. How could he kill himself and leave his team... his family... behind? Most importantly, how could he die when the one person who had been there for him, taken care of him, and shown compassion to him, be left alone in this world when all he wanted and needed was him, Chiro, right then and there, and in the coming future?

Chiro closed his baby, blue eyes before he bowed his head, and allowed the tears from his shut eyes flow freely down his moist cheeks and down to the ground. Then, he whispered what he always wanted to tell Antauri:

"...I love you, too."

At that very moment, Chiro gave up his hold on the knife and just feel to his knees from exhaustion, grieve, and most importantly, love. He knew from this moment and from now on, he would be truly loved and needed in someone's life ( and four other lives.)

Chiro heard something clatter far behind him on the pier, and the boy knew that the silver monkey must have thrown the steak knife with his telekinesis that way. Then, the raven-haired child felt arms encircle his broken body in a comforting hold, and before he knew it, Chiro leaned his mauled body into Antauri's form while grabbing hold of the monkey's arms in front of him for support, and the necessity to know that this was no dream; this was reality, and no one was going to take this happiness he finally came to terms with away, ever.

The two just stayed that way, crying in each others' hold with Antauri's few whispering words "I love you" or "I'm here. It's okay. I'm with you now" over and over again for what felt like an eternity for them. With each passing minute that had passed by, Chiro felt like the weight he was carrying on his shoulders was finally chipping away. He smiled at this, a real smile that he hadn't known he still had.

_"I am alive...,"_ Chiro thought. _"...I am safe... and most of all... I am loved."_

The young teen tightened his hold on Antauri's arms, and thanking anyone who was up there in Heaven watching over him because if he had killed himself, Chiro knew he wouldn't have known that this person that embraced him so dearly loved him.

"Antauri...?" Chiro finally said after a long moment of not saying anything to the sterling monkey.

"Yes, Chiro?"

"Thank you... for saving me."

The hold that circled him tightened a little.

"No, Chiro. Thank _you_ for not leaving me and the rest of family."

After the silver monkey had said this, Chiro gave a shaky sigh from finally relaxing from the extensive crying he performed before opening his eyes to the beautiful world around him. His eyes caught sight of the innocent water in front of him and the vibrant colors that the sky gave off while the sun was almost lost to the horizon.

"How cute..." A voice growled out behind the two teammates.

Chiro's body suddenly went frigid as his eyes widened from fear. He quickly was released from the hold, which allowed him to turn around, and was met with the back of the silver monkey, who had his arms spread wide open like a shield from the man who had taken his innocense.

Chiro gasped at what the man in front of him looked like.

Blood covered his kidnapper from head-to-toe, which resulted in the many, deep slashes that he had on his body that kept on drooling out from the gruesome wounds. The man barely had any clothes on since it looked like most of the apparal was ripped of his body, along with a lot of skin. Yet, the thing that frightened him the most was his kidnapper's face.

The man truly looked like the monster he was with the many gashes that was on his face. His brown hair was stuck to parts of his face like glue, something that made him look more hideous, but worst of all, Chiro noticed a bloody hole that was suppose to have an eyeball in it. The eye socket just drizzled with blood as it continued to make his face bloodier and more monster like.

Then, Chiro saw it.

His kidnapper, his _rapist_, was holding a steak knife, the _same_ steak knife that he was going to kill himself with, in a bloody grip. With the knife now included with the man's new outlook, Chiro truly saw how menacing and malicious this person looked right now.

Out of no where, Chiro whimpered suddenly from the pain he could imagine if the man ever got a hold of him.

&

"You thought... you could... get rid of... me... filthy primate. Well... THINK AGAIN!"

At this comment, Antauri made a screeching sound while baring his teeth out at the man.

"You can't scare me... stupid monkey. Hn. You two... look pathetic while... holding each other. Just pathetic, and... and... WEAK!"

"I won't let you have Chiro ever again!" Exclaimed Antauri as he tried his best to protect the boy behind.

"Who said I wanted him? I want NOTHING... to do with him. Instead... I think it's time to end his worthless life now, but... don't worry. You two... can go... TOGETHER!"

Antauri knew the knife was coming, but with his weak body losing more vital power by the minute now, the silver monkey wasn't going to stop the weapon in time. Instead, he was only able to back up and have the knife slice in his chest.

"AH!"

"Antauri!" Chiro cried out.

The silver monkey saw the blade coming in again, fast, but knew that when he noticed it, he wouldn't be able to stop it unless he injured himself. Either way, he was going to get hurt whether he stopped it or not.

Just right when the blade was going to make contact with his face, Antauri brought his arms up and crossed them so he could prevent at least some minimum damage to his already weak body, but nothing in come.

When Antauri noticed this, he put his arms down and was shocked to see the man and the knife lifted high in the air with some kind of red electricity surrounding the two.

"ANTAURI! CHIRO! ARE YOU TWO OKAY?"

Both Chiro and Antauri turned there heads where the voice had come from. There, on the shore using his magnets on there enemy, was Sprx-77. The red monkey's face looked determined as he lifted the kidnapper in the air.

"WE NOW ARE!" Antauri yelled back to his sibling.

The silver monkey saw Sprx smirk at the comment before making his face get serious again.

"HEY, UGLY!" Sprx yelled towards the kidnapper. The man glared at the red monkey as he struggled to get out of the electric hold. "NO ONE EVER MESSES WITH MY FRIENDS UNLESS THEY WANT AN ASS KICKING FROM ME!"

Once he said this, Sprx-77 musted up all his strength and threw the kidnapper right into his house. The man's body broke through the worn out walls easily as he disappeared from sight. After he had finished his job and dusted off his hands, Sprx ran towards his two comrades.

"I came as fast as I could, but I kind of got lost when Antauri turned a corner and I couldn't find him anywhere," The red monkey explained as he gave the two a small smirk.

"It's quite alright, Sprx. You came at the perfect moment, actually," Antauri said.

The red monkey smiled at him before focusing on Chiro behind the silver monkey. Antauri saw the grin falter on his brother's face.

"Chiro...," Sprx whisperedas he saw what damage had been done to his leader. The red monkey closed his eyes as his fist clenched up to a ball and shook with fury. "I'm going... to kill that man... right now-"

"-We dont't have time for that," Antauri interrupted. The red monkey opened his eyes to this and looked towards his second-in-command. "What we do have to do now, Sprx, is call the rest of the team, and tell them to bring the Super Robot with them. We need Chiro in the Med. Bay, A.S.A.P."

Just as he said that, Chiro began to feel dizzy and a little whoozy as he held his head with one hand. "An...tauri..." He said to get the silver monkey's attention. Anaturi heard him and instantly turned right before Chiro fainted.

The silver monkey caught him with ease as the boy fell forward towards his friend. "Sprx, hurry. Call them."

The red monkey didn't need to be told twice as he contacted the rest of the team members, telling them he found Antauri and Chiro, and told them to bring the Super Robot with them.

"Is he... is he going to make, Antauri?"

The silver monkey didn't respound right away, but eventually did when he knew that the pilot had the right to know the truth.

"I... don't know, Sprx. I honestly don't know, but... I won't let him die. I won't."

"I know," Sprx said as he watched the silver monkey hold the child with care. "I know you won't."

It was a few minutes in silence until the two monkeys heard the Super Robot finally arrive. As the giant machine landed and the two teammates saw their three other comrades running towards them, Antauri knew that Chiro would be alright.

He knew that Chiro would survive and live after this horrible ordeal the child had to go through because now...

Now he would be there, along with his siblings, helping the boy through every step of recovery.

And Antauri knew that when you have family and friends that love you, you can get past any obstacle that life throws at you.

&

A/N: I did it! I finally UPDATED! YAH!. I am SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! SCHOOL HAD MADE ME HAVE NO TIME TO WRITE ALONG WITH THE ANNOYING WRITER'S BLOCK, BUT SINCE IT'S THE SUMMMER, I HAVE NO BLOCKAGE AND CAN WRITE! YEAH!

Alright, so... Chiro is saved! FINALLY! Also, I have great news for most of my readers in this story... there is no more... rape scenes! So, don't worry people. Now, I actually believe that this chapter was the climax in the story, and the next few chapters are the resolution, which means... I'm almost done with the story. Now don't be sad. you guys know it has to end someday.

But... I will not write a sequel to this story, and it will be explained in the future chapters why I will not. So, don't be bummed out now.

Well, thanks for reading the super long chapter, and I'll try to update the next one as fast as I can. Well, please leave a review for me!

See ya!


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N: I can't explain about the sex thing in this chapter so I'll try in the next one. Well, hope you like this one!**

**Also, I updated this chapter really fast as a way to apologize for being so late on my last chapter. So, forgive me if I make a few grammer mistakes and some misspellings.**

**Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter Six**

"Quickly! Put him on the bed!" Gibson ordered once Chiro was carried into the Med. Bay. The blue monkey hastily grabbed any towels he could find before filling up a bowl he had on a counter to the brim with water. Then, he placed his objects on a nearby table. "Hurry! We don't have much time!"

Nova and Otto did as they were told and hurriedly put their leader on the medbed with some of Chiro's blood getting on their front sides, but the two paid no mind to it at the moment. Once this had been accomplished, Gibson wetted a couple of towels and handed them to the yellow monkey and the green monkey.

"I need you two to wash off all the excessive blood he has on his body, so we can see what kind of damage he has," Gibson explained as he began to wash off all the blood and grime the boy had on his arm. "This isn't good...," The blue monkey uttered as he noticed the two slash marks on Chiro's wrist.

"What's wrong?" Nova asked worriedly.

"Chiro decided to cut himself again before we had the chance to come get him."

Nova's eyes widened before she all of the sudden began to scrub the other wrist. She gasped at the sight of two slashes upon his skin.

"It's still bleeding!" She exclaimed to the scientist.

"I know. Both wrists are," Gibson said as he quickly ran to grab a couple of gauze before returning. "Wrap this around the wrist. We can't afford any more blood lost from him."

Nova did as she was told while the blue monkey did the same. Gibson sighed an inwards relief after both wrists were wrapped with the blood barely seeping through the fabric before bringing his attention back to washing off the boy's body.

Just as the three monkeys started to do the careful job of cleaning off their leader, they suddenly heard a voice at the door way.

"Is there anything I can do?"

The three monkeys turned their attention at who had spoken, and found none other than Sprx-77 at the entrance.

"Um... We got it under control, Sprx. Nothing to worry about," Gibson said hastily as he continued to wash the dirt off of Chiro. The blue monkey didn't want to say it, but he didn't want Sprx to get near the boy after what had happened between the red monkey and Antauri earlier that day. He didn't think it would be safe for his leader to be 'touched' by the red monkey.

To be honest, Gibson felt really uncomfortable about it, and looking at his other two siblings, the blue monkey could see that they wouldn't be comfortable with it either if Sprx helped them out.

"Are you sure, Gibson?" Sprx asked as he began to walk towards his siblings. "I mean, maybe I can help with the cleaning, or getting some towels, or-"

"Did you not just hear him?" Nova asked irritated. "He said we have it under control. Now, why don't you just go do something else while we get Chiro cleaned up here."

"But I really want to help and think I should after all that happened-" Sprx stopped his talking and movement when he heard the yellow monkey growl.

The red monkey watched as Nova stopped wiping off the grime on Chiro's body and stomped right up to him. She got right in his face while anger was plastered on her own.

"After what happened, Sprx? After what? Do mean with today? With you and Antauri?" Nova maliciously asked. Sprx winced at this, but before he could say anything, the yellow monkey began to speak again. "Listen, _Sparky_, you've caused enough trouble around here. Why don't you take yourself away from here before you make any more trouble. Now. Unless you want me to force you out." Nova crossed her arms in front of her while leaning on her right side.

"But I just want to help, Nova-"

"-Help? _Help?_ Look here, you..." Nova began while narrowing her pink eyes. "...We don't _need_ your help and we especially don't _want_ it. If you really want to help, leave us alone. You'll do us all a favor if you just do. Now, go."

The yellow monkey pointed towards the exit as Sprx just stood there hurt. His eyes looked past Nova and towards his two brothers, who had stopped washing at this point, to see if they agreed with her. The answer he got was Gibson's cold stare and Otto's look of pity.

Sprx bowed his head in defeat after getting his three siblings' answers; he tried his best to hold in the tears that had started to come.

"Fine," Sprx said quietly as he brought his head back up, eyes filled with tears. "If that is what you guys want."

Turning around, Sprx-77 walked out the door and proceeded down the hallway. "I didn't mean it," he whispered to himself. "I didn't want to hurt him." The red monkey sniffed a couple of times; he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back up. This action caused a couple of tears to fall out of his eyes and slide down his cheeks.

The pilot didn't know where he was going as he continued to drag his feet across the ground. Yet, he kept on walking, not caring at all where he went.

Sprx didn't know how long he was walking, but when he heard a clatter around the corner, he paused for a moment in his spot. Curious, the red monkey made his body go forward. When he turned the corner, Sprx found himself in the kitchen. Then, when he spotted what had caused the noise, his eyes went wide with surprise and immediately, he stopped in his tracks.

There, sitting at the table with a cup of tea in his hands, was Antauri.

Before the red monkey could spin around and run for it, the silver monkey had noticed him.

"Sprx, how nice to see you," Greeted Antauri with a small smile on his lips. The red monkey noticed the small dent on the side of the silver monkey's head, but not wanting to look rude, he averted his eyes to look to the side. It wasn't long before Sprx had to looked down at his feet after seeing the smile towards him.

_"I don't deserve it," _The red monkey thought. _"Yet, he still shows me his kindness after all that I've done to him."_

"Please, come sit and have a cup of tea with me."

Sprx desperately wanted to leave this area so badly now. How could he sit by his sibling and act like nothing had happened between them? Was he literally being punished by some high power or something? Yet, when he stared at the sterling monkey's face with the smile directed towards him, Sprx knew he couldn't say 'no' to him; it was impossible to.

The red monkey nodded and slowly began walking towards the silver monkey.

"The tea is on the stove and there is another cup on the counter next to it," Antauri said while he pointed to where the objects were.

Sprx made his way to the stove and just like his brother said, there was a tea kettle on the stove with a small cup next to it. Taking the tea kettle, the red monkey poured some of its contents into the small cup before putting it back on the stove. He turned around and came to the table. Not knowing how close he should sit by his sibling, Sprx chose to sit right across from him, which was an arms length away.

Blowing on his tea, Sprx watched as Antauri took sips from his cup, almost like he was savoring the taste. Now, the pilot didn't drink tea, but as he saw how the silver monkey enjoyed the drink at the moment, he became a bit curious of how the drink tasted like. Hesiatantly, the red monkey brought the cup to his lips and took a sip of the tea. His face scrutched up immediately.

"Argh! Now I remember why I don't drink this stuff," Sprx said without thinking as he placed his cup on the table top.

"Well, most people don't like the bland taste of tea. It has to be learned through time," Anaturi responded as he took another drink from his tea. "Maybe you would prefer honey in your bervage." Raising his hand in the air with a purple glow surrounding it, the silver monkey brought out the honey from the cupboard, opened the cap, and began to pour the honey in Sprx's drink.

The red monkey sat stunned as he watched the honey be placed on the table while his tea was being stirred around with no spoon at all.

"Now," Antauri began after putting his hand down, "take a drink."

Sprx took the drink in his hand carefully. He looked towards his sibling and only saw him smiling at him. Not wanting to disappoint the silver monkey, the pilot brought the cup to his lips again and took another sip of his tea. Surprisingly, his drink was sweet and quite delicious to his taste buds. Without thinking, Sprx took a hugh gulp of his tea before placing it on the table.

"Wow. That was actually good, Antauri."

"I guess drinking half of the tea would indicate it being good," Antauri said as he took another sip of his tea.

"You know... this kind of feels weird... being here right now," Sprx said as he rubbed the back of his head a little bit.

"Why do you feel 'weird' right now?"

"Well... being here and just drinking with you, and how there was an extra cup on the counter next to the tea kettle. It... ah... kind seems like you were planning on seeing me."

"Hmmm...," Antauri sounded before taking another sip. "I was planning on seeing you."

"Huh?"

"I thought that we should have a little talk without anybody interrupting us, and what better way than over a cup of tea."

Sprx began to feel a little uncomfortable with how this situation was going. He was praying that they weren't going to think about what he was thinking at the moment.

"And... ah... what are we going to talk about?"

"We are going to talk about what happened today."

"Today?"

"Yes."

"Anything peticular who had in mind?"

"Well, I thought we could start off with the whole sex thing between us."

_"Shit!" _Sprx thought. That's the very last thing he wanted to talk about at the moment. Now, he really wanted to run off. Maybe he could try if he just got up slowly-

"Don't think of running, Sprx," Antauri declared calmly as he took another sip of his tea. "We need to talk and if you do try, I'll just use my telekineses to bring you back."

"Are you reading my mind or something?"

"No. I just guessed since I figured that would be the first thing you would be thinking about at this point."

"Lucky guess..." Sprx muttered under his breath.

"Now, let's get down to the point," Antauri said as he finally placed his cup on the table. "You did not rape me."

"I, ah, don't feel really comfortable talking about this. Can we do this another time or something?"

"No, Sprx. We can't. I have to explain to you why you didn't really harm me."

"Harm you? Antauri, do you not remember what the hell I did to your body after we were done?"

"There were just a few scratches and bumps; nothing else."

"Scratches and bumps? What the heck are you talking about? I did a lot more damage to you! Don't you remember all the bites and... and the touching? Antauri, I freak'in _molested_ you!" Sprx exclaimed.

Antauri just stared at his comrade with a peaceful look before taking his cup and a sip from his tea. After a few more sips, the silver monkey finally responded to his anxious friend.

"...Sprx, do you remember what I was doing when you walked in on me?"

After hearing the question, Sprx-77 started to go back in his memories to see if he remembered. When he finally did, the red monkey began to blush.

"Ah... You want me... to tell you?" Sprx cautiously asked.

"Yes."

"Well...," The red monkey started off slowly. " It.. ah... kind of looked like you... you were... Um..."

"It's okay, Sprx," Antauri reassured. "I won't get angry with what you tell me."

The red monkey nodded at this before taking a big breath.

"Like I was saying... It looked like you... were... masterbating."

The pilot's cheeks redden tenfolds now after saying it. He tried to not look at the other's eyes also, but Antauri got his attention when the silver monkey began to talk.

"So it looked like that, huh?... Hmmm...What if I told you, Sprx, that you were really close?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I was _actually _getting pleasure, but not from myself."

"Okay... Now I'm _really_ confused."

"Maybe this little information will help you, then. So pay close attention," Antauri explained to the red monkey. "When you walked in on me, Sprx, I was at that very moment connected to Chiro."

"_Excuse me?_"

"Do you remember when I was connected with Chiro in a test run with my powers that I copied _every_ thing he did?" Antauri asked while ignoring his brother's shock comment. The red monkey only nodded very slowly to show his answer before the silver monkey continued. "Well, that's what I was doing when you walked in on me. I was connected to Chiro and copying every thing that he was doing."

"I... think I get what you mean, but I'm still not certain about the... masturbating... thing."

"Well, first off, Chiro wasn't masturbating. Someone was touching him."

"_What?_"

"Also, do you remember what happened when you came in contact with me, Sprx?" Antauri asked while once again ignoring the red monkey's shock.

Sprx-77 got over his shock very quickly after hearing his comrade's question.

"Yes...," Sprx answered quietly.

"Good. Then, you would also remember that you had no control over your body once you had touched me."

"Yeah, that's true...-Wait. How did you know that? I never told you."

"True, but I knew instantly that once your hand touched my body, you had connected with the kidnapper just like the same way I was connected with Chiro."

"Hold it! Are you saying that _I_ didn't rape you, but Chiro's _kidnapper_ was? Except I was the one hurting you and having the sexual... thing with you?" Sprx asked stunned.

"Basically, but technically, we never had any certain intercourse. Chiro and his... _rapist_ did," Antauri explained with bitterness at the end.

After the red monkey had heard the silver monkey say 'rapist' to him, the puzzle pieces started to click together in his head.

"We were... just imitating Chiro being... raped?" Sprx asked quietly to his teammate.

Antauri eyes became sad after hearing his sibling say the truth, but nodded none the less to give his comrade the answer.

"Oh... my... God..." The pilot had to put his face in his hands before the tears started to fill his eyes once more; the truth was just too much for him to bear. Finally, at long last, everything that had happened to him and his friend made since, but... in one of the most horrible ways ever; the truth in someone elses real pain; Chiro's pain.

"...That was why I sent you and the others to go eat and relax that day," Antauri explained to his sibling to make him understand. "I thought that if I connected with Chiro, I would find him. Well, I did, but... it was at a cost. It... made me know how it felt to be... raped. Yet... that wasn't even the worst part with the connection. The worst thing that I had to endure during that whole event was the thought that _I_ wasn't the one being raped... Chiro was."

"...Did you know that when I connected with him that I lost control of my mind? It happened right after that... that villain... that _monster_, had kissed him. You... you couldn't imagine what Chiro was thinking at that moment. The pain he held... My God! It still hurts to even think that he had so much depression and miserable thoughts floating in his head. No wonder he thought of death so much. It... it was his way to gain freedom of the pain."

"Is that why he would cut himself?" Sprx asked in a whisper.

"I believe so..."

"Was... it even worse... when I came into the equatinon?"

"...The only thing bad that came from your contact was that you had to manipulate the exact same thing as that bastard was doing," Antauri answered bitterly. Sprx was stunned for a moment to hear his brother cuss since the silver monkey rarely used the vulgar vocabulary, but the red monkey agreed with the choice of word.

"I'm sorry I came," Sprx said after pulling his face away from his hands so he could look at his comrade.

"Do not be sorry, Sprx, because even if I didn't want you there to witness, or participate, in the connection, it was your touch that allowed me to come back to my own conciousness," The silver monkey's eyes met Sprx's in a serious stare. "If it wasn't for you, Sprx, I wouldn't be able to come back in reality to stop Chiro from death. Sprx..."

Antauri reached across the table and grabbed hold of his brother's hand. The red monkey glanced at the sudden contact before bringing his gaze back to his sibling's.

"... You saved Chiro."

The silver monkey squeezed the pilot's hand for the other's comfort, along with comforting himself as well. He smiled when he felt the red monkey give him the exact same pressure.

"Thank you... for telling me," Sprx said to his brother. "I needed to know that I helped him in at least one way."

"You're welcome."

The two just stayed that way for a while; holding the other's hand for support. Antauri sighed a soft relief from knowing that his family will actually get past this nightmare. They will move forward with the truth and with the love they give to each other.

"...Antauri."

"Yes?"

"You look exhausted," Sprx said after examining his friend's exterior form.

"Well, that's because I am," Antauri admitted.

"Maybe you should go to bed or something."

"I would like that, but I'm not finished with today yet."

"What else do you have to do?"

"Tell the others what happened to us and Chiro."

Sprx let go of the sterling monkey's hand and brought it to his lap. "I don't think they'll listen."

"Why not?"

"Because they hate me and don't believe a word I say now."

"How is that possible when they came to pick us up after you called?"

The red monkey opened his mouth to respond, but he had nothing coming out because his comrade had a point: They would never have come if they didn't believe a word he said.

Antauri saw the resolution on the pilot's face and decided that now was a good time to go to his other teammates. Sprx saw the other monkey leaving his seat and did the same.

"Do you... want me to put up the tea cups?" The red monkey asked.

"No, just leave them. We'll clean them up later. Right now, we have to talk to our team and check up on our leader," Antauri explained. He began to walk down the hallway with Sprx scrambling to his side.

"Hey, Antauri?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering... How did you get rid of all the dirt and blood that was on you?"

The silver monkey smirked from hearing this.

"After you guys left me to go tend Chiro, I used the lake's water to wash off my body."

"Oh... sorry for leaving you."

"It's okay. I would expect nothing else but shyness from you when it came to making physical contact with me. Also, I used that time to call the police."

"Why did you call the police?"

"Well... someone needs to take Chiro's kidnapper to jail because if I got my hands on him... I know I would have killed him."

&

Antauri and Sprx-77 walked into the medical bay together and spotted their comrades surrounding one of the glass tubes, but a different tube that Antauri wasn't in earlier. Except this time, the second-in-command wasn't in any of the tubes; Chiro was.

"How is he doing?" Antauri asked while stopping right behind the three other monkeys. They turned to greet him with a small smile but frowned upon seeing the red monkey. This caused Sprx to look away from his siblings; Antauri saw the pilot's movement from the corner of his eye.

"Well... He'll survive," Gibson answered before turning around to read the data on the computer.

"Do you care to tell me how badly hurt he is?" Antauri asked while crossing his arms in front of him. The blue monkey turned around to met the elder monkey's gaze on him.

"Well, I don't really know how I'm going to tell you..."

"Let me make it simpliar for you, then... What _exactly_ happened to Chiro?" The silver monkey's eyes showed a dominant gaze, almost threatening really, which made the scientist a little nervous to answer.

"Do you... want all... reports on his damage?" Gibson asked.

"That would be _wonderful_."

Gibson looked towards the yellow monkey and green monkey to see if they were a little shock from Antauri's calm attitude not being presented; they were very shocked. The blue monkey even noticed Sprx raising an eyebrow at the silver monkey.

Clearing his throat, Gibson picked up Chiro's chart that was near him and began to read off all the damage that had been endured on the child's body.

"Well, it says here that... Chiro has mutiple cuts and slashes on the body, a mild concussion, brusing, a broken rib, a twisted ankle, puncture holes, bite marks, a split lip, malnutrition, open cuts in...the butthole, and traces... of human/male...sperm."

The silver monkey allowed the information to be soaked in his memory before taking a deep breath.

"Thank you, Gibson. Do you know when he will be healed exactly?" Antauri asked in a much calmer tone than before.

"If my calculations are right... I would say... about two hours."

"Good. That would be plenty of time to talk to you guys."

"About what?" Otto asked.

Antauri turned towards his brother with a little smile on his face. "Why the truth behind Sprx and me."

Movement had frozen at the comment that was said. The three monkeys in front of Antauri and Sprx glanced at each other before gapping a little from what the silver monkey had just said.

"Look, team," Antauri said as a way to bring them out of their shock, "I know you all are very upset with Sprx right now, but you shouldn't be."

Nova snapped out of her shock very fast after hearing the sterling monkey say this.

"We shouldn't be? Antauri, Sprx hurt you and you're telling us that we shouldn't be angry with him?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you and the other two."

"But... how could you say that? He just fucked you up!"

"He did _**not**_ fuck me up, Nova," Antauri said sternly as he glared at his sister from the choice of word. Nova and all the silver monkey's brothers stared at him in shock from hearing him say one of the worst cuss words ever. Never in their lives had they ever heard their comrade say such a word, yet here he was, saying the 'F' word.

"Why are you defending _him_? He's the one who has caused all this trouble on the team!"

"If you would use the _facts_ in your head right instead of listening to your _ignorance_, you would know that none of this was Sprx's fault at all in the first place,"Antauri said.

"Well, then who's fault is IT!" Nova bellowed out.

The yellow monkey had to suddenly take a step back when the second-in-command came right into her face. With his blue eyes narrowing along with how his body language showed, Nova became a little frightened and intimidated from how he stood over you.

"Do you really want to know who's fault this is?" Antauri asked lowly in a hiss. "Why don't you try with the man who raped Chiro!"

The last couple of words were in a whisper while the silver monkey pointed towards the team's leader. Gibson, Otto, and Sprx heard what Antauri had said and knew that the one responsible for the whole ordeal was none other than Chiro rapist.

'Now," Antauri started in a much softer and calmer tone while pulling away from his sister's face, "I need to tell you guys what happened earlier today..."

Antauri told his three siblings everything. He told them about Chiro and his connection together along with Sprx's connection with the kidnapper, proving to them that the silver monkey wasn't truly raped at all. Once his three teammates understood, they started to feel guilty and sick from how they had treated Sprx. Worst of all, they began to realize how Chiro's innocence was truly taken away.

The sterling monkey told his siblings about how he had found their leader; he also told them how Sprx had helped him in that. Antauri explained to them why he broke out of the glass tube to rescue Chiro. Then, he began to tell them how he ran to the 'prison' that held their leader and fought off the rapist with his claws.

His teammates grimaced from the morbid thoughts and imagines that went through their minds at trying to visualize how the monkey shredded the man's body.

Antauri then told them about the pier and how very close he was to losing Chiro from death. He even told them about how true the power of love was because he told them that:

"...It was how I saved him... showing him love."

"Then what happened?" Otto asked quietly.

"Chiro didn't kill himself, which you all know already. Instead, he allowed me to hold him for comfort, but it wasn't for long. His kidnapper came and tried to kill us. At this point in time, I was too tired to fight the man off, so I tried to block him. As he came in for the kill, I thought he was actually going to hurt me, but then...," Antauri brought his gaze to look into Sprx's eyes. "Sprx saved us."

"...I believe you all know the rest," The silver monkey finished off.

His teammates nodded with realization now in their grasps. For a moment, it was very quiet in the room as Antauri's four siblings let the information sink in and settle for a while. As the silence went on, the silver monkey brought his eyes up to his leader's form.

Without stopping himself, Antauri walked over to the tube that held Chiro, and when he got there, he just stood and watched him.

His action caused his comrades to stare at him in curiosity, but the silver monkey ignored them for the moment.

His blue eyes scanned the boy's body. Antauri took notice of the child's nakedness easily, but wasn't too surprised to find his leader so exposed with all the damage the body had to take. The bruises and slashes were still visible to anyone's eyes as the sterling monkey looked them over himself.

It made him feel remorse and anger.

Because he couldn't get to Chiro in time, Antauri wasn't able to stop the madman torturing the boy. Now, the child had to endure the memories and possible scars for the rest of his life. The silver monkey narrowed his eyes a little from remembering how it felt being raped and for a moment, he actually thought of finding the kidnapper and killing him for what he had done.

_"He's lucky I decided to call the police on him," _Thought Antauri as he brought his hand up to touch the glass that separated him and Chiro. _"If I had thought any more about what I would do to him, I would most likely finish what I had started earlier with him,"_

"Antauri?" Gibson said to get his brother's attention.

"Yes?" Antauri answered while not turning around.

"You look really tired. Maybe you should go rest or something."

"I don't want to leave Chiro," The silver monkey stated. "No matter how exhausted I am."

The four monkeys glanced at each other with this statement. It worried them since they saw how badly in shape their second-in-command was at the moment. They knew that the silver monkey **needed** to sleep (and get some medical attention) or something that could regenerize his body.

That was when Gibson remembered the extra bed in the medbay. The blue monkey smiled a little at his idea since he knew it was a win-win solution.

"Well, my dear friend," The scientist began, "you need to get some rest, yet you don't want to leave. How about... you stay here instead? There's an extra bed in here so that way you can sleep and still be near Chiro. What do you think?"

Antauri turned around to meet his brother's gaze after he heard what the other proposed.

"...I think I like that."

A small smile crept up on his face, making the other four monkeys give one in return.

"Well, we'll leave you alone with Chiro, Antauri, but we'll be back in two hours," Gibson said.

"Why are you leaving?" The silver monkey asked curiously.

"Because you need your rest," Otto answered with a grinned.

"I see... Well, I guess you guys don't want to disturb my sleeping, then. Is that what it is?"

"Yep. Sure is," Nova answered.

"Well, if you guys want to do that, then I guess it's alright."

"Good because it looks like you need a little shut eye," Gibson admitted after examining his brother head to toe. "Well, good night!" The blue monkey spun around and began to head to the exit.

The other three monkeys saw this and followed the scientist after waving goodbye to the second-in-command. Antauri rewarded them with kind smiles while waving goodbye to them. Once they left, the sterling monkey went over to the bed Gibson was talking about, climbed on top of it, and laid down on his side.

There was no blanket to cover his body, but he was thankful enough to have a pillow under his head. When Antauri's head had touched the pillow, the silver monkey started to feel drowsy. His eyelids began to droop while his body started to feel limp and heavy. He knew he couldn't stay awake for long, but Antauri didn't want to fall asleep just yet.

He wanted to watch over Chiro.

Yet, no matter how much he fought off the tiredness his body and mind desperately desired, the silver monkey finally gave in to what they wanted. He closed his eyes and instantly drifted off to a dreamless slumber.

&

Gibson, Nova, Otto, and Sprx-77 walked into the living room. None of them have spoken a word to each other while walking to this destination. It made the red monkey a bit nervous because he didn't know for sure if his three siblings forgave him or not. Sure, they might actually understand the situation between him and Antauri, but he wasn't sure if they accepted him again; they didn't respond when Antauri had explained to them what had happened between him and Sprx. Yet, the red monkey didn't blame them. Heck, he would be upset with one of his comrades raping another too.

Not knowing exactly what to do, Sprx cleared his throat to get his teammates' attention. "Um... I'm gonna go to my room, so if you guys are looking for me, that's where I will be." He started to walk to his room when he was suddenly stopped by Nova.

"Wait," She called out.

The red monkey stopped his tracks before turning around to meet her and his two brothers.

"Hmm?"

"...I think we owe you an apology," Nova said while rubbing her arm up and down.

"You guys don't need to apologize to me," Sprx explained.

"No, we really do," The yellow monkey stated. "Look, before Antauri told us what happened, I was really angry with you. Disgusted even, but now that I know it wasn't at all your fault, I feel terrible for calling you all those names and hurting you for something that you had no control over."

"Yeah... it makes me sad to know that I thought of you as a rapist," Otto said with a crestfallen face.

"Otto... don't be like that," Sprx said before taking a few steps towards his siblings.

"I agree with them, Sprx," Gibson began. "I feel guilty and stupid for believing that you would actually hurt Antauri purposely. Will you ever forgive us?"

"You guys, none of you should be saying sorry to me! If it should be anyone, it should be me because... because I wasn't strong enough to stop my body from physically hurting Antauri, and now I have to live with that as well as you guys do. You all are now going to remember me as the person who sexually molested our brother. How can you guys just stand there and apologize to me, of all people!"

His voice died away into silence while all of them just stood there. The three monkeys thought about what Sprx had told them, especially Nova. She knew what her brother was trying to tell them, but after knowing what the truth is, the yellow monkey couldn't carry anymore hate to her comrade. How could she when it wasn't Sprx's fault in the first place, but Chiro's kidnapper's fault? Yet, here she was being told by none other than Sprx-77 himself, telling her to not forgive him.

There was only one answer Nova could give to Sprx.

She walked up to the red monkey slowly to show that she wasn't going to harm him. When she got close enough, Nova brought her arms up and encircled Sprx's neck, bringing him into a close hug. Then, she told the stunned monkey his answer quietly:

"...We love you, Sprx, and forgiving your mistakes is what a real family does. I know... it's hard for you to forgive yourself, but... if you give us a chance to help you, I know you'll be able to do it. You need to trust us to help you, Sprx. Do you trust us?"

The yellow monkey waited for an answer, but instead was surprised to feel Sprx's arms wrap around her before resting his chin on her shoulder before saying anything.

"...I've always trusted you guys."

Nova smiled at the response before hugging him tighter. It wasn't long before Otto and Gibson came over to the two and hugged them as well. The yellow monkey felt something wet slide down her shoulder and she knew that Sprx was crying. She felt tears come to her own eyes as well and allowed them to fall to help cleanse her of any pain, anger, and guilt she had inside her. She saw her other two siblings crying with her and Sprx as they all tried to hug the red monkey; they wanted to show him that they loved him dearly, no matter what had happened.

The four teammates finally felt that peace had settled between them after all that had happened. They knew that from now on they will be fine because of the love that they shared deeply with each other; the trust that each and every one held for the other.

Sprx-77 at last realized that he could get past his guilt, just like his other siblings because of one simple thing...

...The power of love.

&

A/N: Besides the prolouge, I would have to say this is one of the shortest chapters I have written in this story. Well, I know it wasn't the most exciting chapter, but I needed the monkey team to forgive Sprx and Sprx needed to forgive himself. Now, it might have seemed rushed making the forgiving scene with Nova, Gibson, Otto, and Sprx, but that's because it's the same day when Sprx 'raped' Antauri.

So, chapter four, five, and this chapter are ALL HAPPENING ON THE SAME DAY! That's how I believe the team can forgive Sprx easily since they never saw Antauri getting hurt and they never held any hate over a few days. THEY NEVER DEVELOPED A GRUDGE OR SENSE OF REVENGE SINCE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT!

Also, I think with Antauri explaining everything really made them forgive Sprx easier.

Alright, I hope you guys liked this chapter. If it was too boring for you then I'm sorry, but that's what happens when you have already had the climax. The excitement sort of disappears, but it isn't entirely gone. The excitement will now come in different forms from the last chapters in the story, so don't worry. They will be great!

Well, thank you for reading, and please leave a review since I love reading reviews (like everyone else does).

See ya!

The Sacred Heart 2


	8. Chapter Seven

A/N: Forgive me for not writing in so long. I feel so bad but I really was not feeling this story for a LONG time as all you guys can see. So, I finally have the inspiration again and I can finally give you the long awaited chapter for _Bleeding Crimson Red_.

I really do wish to finish this story, but it's hard when you lost that muse. I will try my best in finishing this story and I wish to make it excellent for all my readers and new readers as well.

Chapter Seven

_His feet walked on the cool, moist grass as he left imprints of his footsteps on it. The wind blew gently on his pale skin that was exposed to it as he continued to follow his feet to where their destination was. Normally, Chiro would feel embarrass to walk naked outside but for some reason he did not harbor this feeling, nor was shame incorporated as well. Instead he welcomed his nakedness as an entry to becoming pure again, to leave all the wrong and corruption from his past life._

_His eyes stared on straight ahead as his bare feet made contact with the soft, white sand. His target he saw was the large, mass of water that ran miles and miles: the ocean. It was silent, even the sound of the waves weren't heard as Chiro stared blankly at the crashing waters. The only thing he could hear was his soft breathing and the sound of his feet crunching upon the loose soil under him. He stopped suddenly as his feet made first contact on the wet sand._

_Chiro gazed down upon his body to examine it. He first noticed that all his scars from his arms were gone completely, the bruises and gashes upon him were nowhere to be seen, and he felt no pain coursing inside him. The raven hair boy closed his eyes, inhaled deeply before letting out a breath. He opened his blue orbs once more to relish the scene until he noticed that the scene had changed._

_Chiro looked around slowly to only find an open blue sky with still water everywhere. He brought his gaze down to his feet only to realize that he was standing on the still water. His reflection gazed back at him with the exact same blank stare as Chiro caught his imitator's eyes. _

_Without even thinking, Chiro began to fall forward in a slow motion. His reflection left Chiro's body movements and became its own person on the surface of the water. He gave a small smile at Chiro as he opened his arms wide open to catch the falling boy but when Chiro made contact with the water his reflection rippled away and Chiro began to sink in the water. He found his body able to breathe still as he rotated his body to be facing the surface of the water._

_Chiro saw his reflection gliding to him before he just floated above him. He stretched his hand out for Chiro while holding that same small smile. The raven hair child stared at the hand before staring back at familiar baby blue eyes. Then, he did something that he hadn't done in a long time: he smiled. _

_Smiling more than he could remember, Chiro raised his hand to meet his reflection's hand but when he tried to grasp the hand his just went through. Chiro tried to grab it again, but still nothing happened. He began to feel panic since he couldn't hold the hand offered to him no matter how many times he tried. His reflection noticed this and replaced his smile with a frown. Slowly, he began to fade away and Chiro began to panic more as he tried to grasp the hand that was still offered to him._

_When Chiro finally got a hold of his reflection's hand he felt and saw many tattered arms scarred with gashes and blood grab his body from behind him and pull him from his reflection into the dark depths of the water. His reflection had a sad expression on his face before finally fading away forever in sight._

_Chiro began to scream from agony from not being with his reflection. The hands carried him deeper and deeper into the water as his body fought for release and his throat created yells of sorrow. He began to feel cold and started to have trouble breathing as the hands carried him deeper._

"_**Chiiiiiirrrrrrooooo….."**_

_The boy stopped screaming when he heard the voice calling to him. His heart literally felt like it clenched in fear as he registered who had said his name. The arms around him kept pulling him down even further as he heard the man's voice again._

"_**Oh Chiiirrrooo…."**_

_Suddenly one, huge green eye stared down at him as the other oozed blood on him. The blood dripped upon the boy's pale skin and slid down his body, followed by more drops as it rolled upon his body. The blood scattered over him, making lines and blotches and before he knew it the arms that kept him captive began to rip at his skin where the blood was, creating gashes and scratches, bruises and broken bones that resembled his once broken body before. He screamed in pain as they tore at his skin._

_When they finally finished, they left Chiro to bleed to death and float on his own in the dark, bloody water._

_The face above him gave a smirk before saying:_

"_**There you are Chiro. I found you. Don't worry my love, we will never be apart again."**_

_Black tendrils came out of the man's body and began to envelope them both in darkness as Chiro screamed in agony, fright, and hopelessness._

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! STOP! NOOOO! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_His screams began to grow weak as the darkness began to suffocate him…._

Chiro opened his eyes to find himself in a small cylinder case of water while being suffocated from water entering his mask. He failed to move his limbs as his body struggled to gain a breath in. His voice was heard from gurgling screams as he fought against the water.

"_He really does have me! He really does have ME! Antauri! WHY! WHY! ANTAURI HELP ME!" _Chiro screamed in his mind.

His eyes began to roll back in his head from the lack of oxygen and his vision began to blur. Voices were heard somewhere shouting and a loud beeping noise was surrounding everything. Chiro felt his body begin to sink and thought for a moment that he was being dragged down again but when he hit the bottom and felt the water around him slowly disappear he knew that he wasn't being dragged and stopped concluding about this. When he finally had movement in his limbs he ripped the mask off his face and began to throw up water and any essence of food that might have been in his stomach. His eyes were blurry from being in the water and the harsh lights around his sensitive eyes made it harder for him to focus. His hearing was fuzzy as he heard muffled voices all around him.

Chiro stuck his hands out believing he would connect with the tube but found nothing in his way. He began to stand up shakily but felt hands grab hold of his arms, and believing it was the tattered arms again he began to resist and flung his arms and body around. These movements caused him to fall forward and he hit the cold, tile hard and screamed in pain as his body protested from the movements and harm that his body just endured.

Once again he felt hands grab hold of him and Chiro began to scream and fight off the intruders. He punched, kicked, and even tried to claw at whoever tried to touch him but many hands and weights lay on his body.

Chiro began to cry from the pain and hopelessness but still he tried to have his worn body fight off the things. Suddenly, the hands and weight on him left and he relaxed for a moment until he felt something cold and strong grab hold of his body like he had claws grabbing parts of his body and lift him up in the air. Here, Chiro began to scream at the top of lungs, yelling at the thing to stop or shouting for Antauri to help him while fighting with all his might.

Chiro was frightened and didn't know what was happening. His blurry sight and fuzzy hearing made things even worse since those two senses are his essentials in knowing his surroundings.

He felt his back touch something solid as the claws kept him from going anywhere in his struggles. Chiro felt his arms and legs being strapped down, causing him to struggle and scream even louder.

His hearing was starting to clear up and he could hear some bits and pieces of words coming from the many voices.

"Hold….down…need to…."

"….bleeding…! Hurry!"

Chiro began to cry again and whimper from everything happening to him.

"An-an-tauri…. Help… Help me…." Chiro whimpered out as his tears fell freely from his eyes.

Suddenly he felt something lay on top of his head and Chiro once again tried to struggle from the touch. When he felt the thing on his head begin to stroke his hair the boy slowly dwindled his fighting when he realized it was a hand stroking his hair. The next thing he heard he gasped out in joy.

"I am here Chiro," he heard Antauri say in his ear. "It's okay. I won't let anything bad happen to you again."

Chiro could feel himself crying even more as he tried to talk to his mentor.

"I-I thought… you were… gone."

"I never left your side. I was here watching over you."

Chiro felt something going in his arm and tried to struggle away from it but Antauri shushed him gently as he continued to stroke his hair.

"Shhhhh… it's okay. It's okay, I'm here. We're just sedating you to make you feel better."

Chiro felt himself losing his blurry vision into darkness from feeling extremely tired.

"Will you… be…here…when I…wake up?"

"Yes."

"Pro…mise?"

"I promise Chiro. Now, rest my child."

Chiro didn't fight the gentle command or his body's actions. Instead, he slipped once more into darkness, going into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Antauri woke up after thirty minutes of sleeping. He knew it wasn't the best rest his body needed but something woke him up because he felt a disturbance of some sort. He slowly got out of the bed that he preoccupied for the moment and made his way to Chiro's tank. He stared for a moment at the boy in the tube and saw nothing wrong so what was bothering him so much?

His hand went up to touch the glass tube, leaving it there for a lingering moment before having it drop back to his side. Antauri's eyes trailed over the boy in front him. So much cuts and bruises he saw on this child's body, so many scars Chiro may keep for the rest of his human life.

Watching his leader float in the tube made Antauri think how lucky he was to find the boy before it was too late. The silver monkey shuddered from the very thought of thinking what would have happened if he didn't make it in time.

Would this boy he loved so dearly be lying at the bottom of the lake? Would the sliced wrists stop bleeding if Chiro was lying at the end of the pier with a cut throat bleeding over the pale skin? Would his body be thrown in a dug up hole that his kidnapper made? Would his kidnapper kill the boy himself after using his body for his own pleasure?

Antauri did not know and was glad he didn't know.

The silver monkey brought his hand back on the glass tube to rest.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time," he started in a quiet voice, "but I'm here now, and I won't let anything happen to you ever again."

"**MALFUNCTION IN HEALING PROCESS (BEEP) MALFUNCTION IN HEALING PROCESS (BEEP) MALFUNCTION IN HEALING PROCESS (BEEP)"**

Antauri jumped when he heard the alarm go off with the lights dimming instantly. The silver monkey went to the panel that controlled the boy's vitals and noticed a blinking red light; it read 'lack of oxygen'.

Just then, the doors opened up to reveal his other teammates running in.

"What happened?" Gibson asked loudly so he could be heard over the alarm while running up to Antauri at the panel. The blue monkey began to type in certain things while Antauri answered.

"I don't know! One moment he's fine, the next he isn't."

Antauri ran up to the tube that held the boy inside, hitting the glass with his hands roughly as to stop himself from crashing into the glass. The sterling monkey noticed the struggle in Chiro's face and body as his movements were being halted by the nanoprobes.

"Do something Gibson! He can't BREATHE!" Antauri shouted when he turned his head over his shoulder.

"I'm trying! The mask on him came loose for unknown reasons and he began to choke on the water," Gibson exclaimed while punching in more buttons. "I can't put the mask back on through the panel. Ugh! I'm going to have to drain the tube. Make sure you guys take him out carefully after the water and tube is gone."

There were a few more buttons punched in before Antauri watched the water in front of him begin to drain from the bottom. The tube followed a few seconds afterwards, causing the silver monkey to back up.

Everyone watched as Chiro slowly sunk on to his knees. When the water was completely gone the boy shakily brought a hand up to the oxygen mask and ripped it off before heaving up water and other substances from his stomach to the side.

"Is he going to be okay?" Otto asked after watching his leader vomit.

"I believe so Otto, "Gibson responded while checking the panel. "He was just choking on water and his body retaliated the only way it knew how. Anyway, help him out of the tube and bring him to the med bay so I can see what exactly got fixed and what didn't."

Everyone except for Gibson walked over to Chiro to help him out when they noticed him trying to stand. The moment they grabbed him the boy began to violently swing his limbs around.

"Chiro, it's alright! It's us!" Sprx exclaimed while trying to keep his grip on the boy.

"Why is he fighting us? Can't he see it's us?" Nova asked worried.

"I don't think he can Nova," Gibson said while punching in more buttons that stopped the alarm from shouting. "He didn't finish his healing process, so his hearing and sight according to the panel aren't one-hundred percent at the moment-"

The blue monkey was interrupted by Chiro's scream as the boy fell from the small platform from his frantic struggling.

"Chiro!"Antauri said loudly as he tried to pick the boy up. The others followed suit but the moment they touched their leader's skin he began to scream and fight them off. His arms were swinging at all angles while his feet tried to connect with anything solid.

"Quickly! Lay on him. Aw!" Sprx gasped out from surprise when he felt Chiro's nails try clawing him. All his siblings put their body weight on the boy and this caused Chiro to begin to whimper and scream.

Antauri noticed the boy start to cry. It made him feel guilty to cause the child so much pain but they needed to help him quickly or he wouldn't heal quicker.

"GIBSON!" Antauri yelled over his shoulder while trying to hold Chiro down. "Can't you do something that can help him go on the bed?"

"I'm trying! Keep holding him down," Gibson called back while he ran over to his medical bench, rummaging through his items.

"Hurry!" Nova exclaimed after being elbowed in the stomach.

"Found it!" Gibson exclaimed before turning around. Antauri looked up and saw the blue monkey carrying a remote control in his hand.

"Everyone get off of him," the scientist ordered. His siblings did as they were told and for a moment Chiro stopped his fighting and screaming when the weight was off his body. Gibson pushed a button on the remote and from the ceiling came out five robotic claws. The blue monkey punched something else in and the claws went to grab hold of Chiro's body, picking him up in the air to maneuver him onto the med bed.

"Stop! STOP!" Chiro cried out as he began to fight the machine. His screams got louder as he was carried in the air to the bed. "AHHHHHH! NOOOOO! ANTAURI! **ANTAURI**! HELP ME! HELP ME **PLEASE**!"

Antauri stared at his leader with so much guilt; his heart wrenched from hearing the fear in the child's voice. The silver monkey couldn't move as he watched Chiro struggle while being placed on the med bed and still didn't move as he watched his siblings run towards the bed to strap down the boy while hearing him scream and cry.

The second-in-command felt almost like he was watching the whole thing from a movie's point. Was he scared of the circumstance? Was he terrified what has happened to Chiro? Was he afraid this is what the child has become, a scared little boy? The silver monkey tried shaking these thoughts from his head. _"He needs me right now,"_ he thought. _"Then why can't I go to him?"_

_ "Because," _his own mind started, _"You don't know how to help him."_

"Hold him down," Antauri heard Gibson say while carrying a shot," I need to sedate him."

"Gibson! His wounds are bleeding again! Hurry!" Nova exclaimed.

"An-an-tauri…." The silver monkey heard his name and brought his gaze to rest upon Chiro. The boy had not yelled at him but whimpered with tears falling out of his eyes." Help… Help me…."

Without a second thought, Antauri was at Chiro's side instantly, stroking the child's hair gently. At first his leader tried to move away from the touching but slowly became calmer the more the silver monkey stroked his hair.

Antauri brought his mouth closer to Chiro's ear, hoping that he'll be able to hear him better.

"I am here Chiro. It's okay. I won't let anything bad happen to you again."

"I-I thought… you were… gone," Chiro managed to get out as he continued to cry.

"I never left your side. I was here watching over you."

Antauri noticed Gibson coming over before injecting Chiro in the shoulder. The boy began to struggle against the small pressure.

"Shhhhh… it's okay," Antauri said gently to calm his leader as he continued to stroke his hair. "It's okay, I'm here. We're just sedating you to make you feel better."

The silver monkey noticed Chiro's eye lids begin to shut from the shot's effect.

"Will you… be…here…when I…wake up?"

Antauri couldn't help but have a small smile creep up on his face.

"Yes."

"Pro…mise?"

"I promise Chiro. Now, rest my child."

Antauri watched as Chiro's eyes shut all the way as his chest rose in a slower but calmer rhythm that indicted that the medicine was in full effect.

"Well, now that he is finally 'out', let me see what damage he has done to his body," Gibson said before pushing another button on the remote in his hand. The claws that held Chiro left his body and returned to the ceiling where they came from earlier.

"But he's still bleeding. We need to stop them," Nova pointed out.

"I will get to them in a little bit but I need to know what damage he has left before I do anything. Now then," Gibson began as he placed the remote on a tray nearby before heading to a computer panel. On this he typed a few things in, activating a small screen to make a curve over Chiro's torso before connecting on the other side of the bed. The screen began to go up and down from Chiro's head to his feet; this caused Antauri to take a step back so he wouldn't be in the way.

"Hmmm…. According to the scans it says that his rib is still broken, the punctured holes in him were torn open, which explains some of his bleeding. His cuts on his stomach are opened as well but not as bad as before. The good news is that his foot and mild concussion has recovered completely and the deep slashes on his wrists were healed enough that even through his struggles they didn't open. On his face, as you can see, the puffiness has disappeared, leaving him with a few scratches. The bruising on his body has dwindled down but not enough. His face, stomach, arms, legs, and back contains the bruises but in time they will go away."

After the synopsis, the small screen went back into the bed after Gibson punched in a few buttons. The blue monkey then grabbed some gauze, two towels, a needle, and thread.

"Here," he said while handing the gauze to Sprx and Otto; the towels he handed to the other two monkey, "You too put pressure on the punctured holes to stop them. Antauri, you and Nova will wash off the excess blood on his body."

Everyone did as they were told while being as gentle as possible. Gibson concentrated on sticking the thread through the tiny hole of the needle. When he finally did he tied a knot at the end and came forward, motioning his other siblings to stop what they were doing.

The scientist sewed up the two punctured holes in the boy's chest as well as stitching up some gashes that weren't healed enough and could cause infection if left unattended.

"There," Gibson stated after a sigh of relief. "He's all patched up. I think after he has healed naturally in a few days we should put him back in the healing pod. Otto, do you mind checking on the systematics on why the mask became loose?"

"No problem Gibson. I'll make sure I'll check any other damages that the pod might have had."

After nodding to his green brother, Gibson looked towards the other siblings.

"While Otto checks out the machine we should put Chiro back in his room to sleep. Antauri, are you able to lift Chiro there with your telekinesis?"

"I believe so. Just unstrap him and I'll begin."

The others did as the second-in-command instructed, taking off the straps carefully so they wouldn't cause the boy any pain.

Antauri closed his eyes, raising his hand up towards the boy's direction. Secretly, the silver monkey felt exhausted after wrestling with his leader but knew that they needed to get Chiro in bed without causing any injuries by accident. With Antauri's powers it was the simplest and best choice for this type of movement. The sterling monkey forced himself to muster all the power he had that would grant him the ability to move Chiro to his room as carefully as possible.

His hand generated a purple hue around it before causing his leader's body to have the exact same light around it. Feeling his leader's body within his 'grip', Antauri began to move the body up. This caused him a little trouble since his body screamed at him to stop.

"_No, I can't- I won't,"_ Antauri thought. _"He needs me."_

Opening his eyes back up Antauri began to walk slowly with the floating boy in front of him towards the doors. They slid open, allowing the two people to exit with the three other teammates following behind.

Every step the silver monkey took was difficult but he knew that it didn't matter when it came to Chiro. He cared for this boy so dearly and now his body didn't want to work for him? He didn't know if he should find the situation funny since he didn't remember his body minding the physical pain of dying when it came to saving Chiro long ago.

"_Then again,"_ Antauri thought,_ "if one thinks about it death is much easier to escape from pain than enduring it."_

Not wanting to think too much on how coincidental that thought was with Chiro's situation Antauri tried concentrating his feet to move forward. His hand and arm began to shake from the strain as his body felt agony in forcing so much out of it when there wasn't enough energy for the silver monkey in the first place; the struggle with Chiro earlier took much out of him already, not to mention the whole fight with the kidnapper, Sprx's accidental connection, and limited amount of reenergizing.

"Hey… Antauri? Do you want us to carry him the rest of the way?" Sprx asked while noticing the shaking.

"I'm…I'm fine," Antauri managed to say.

"But your arm-"

"-I said I'm fine, Sprx," the silver monkey interrupted. It took a lot out of him to not raise his voice, which he succeeded.

"If you say so…."

It was silent the rest of the way to Chiro's bedroom. Antauri could feel his siblings' stares on his back but tried not to care about it. After all, Chiro was his priority right now.

By the time they came to the bedroom, Antauri felt weakened in his state; his body was shaking all over and his legs felt like giving out under him. He tried to forget his extreme fatigue by concentrating his powers to lowering Chiro in bed. When he finally did, Antauri fell to one knee while having his hands stop him from falling all the way.

"Antauri, are you okay?" Nova asked while coming to his side. She helped him back up on his feet, which he thanked with a smile.

"I am fine, Nova. Just… a little tired."

The silver monkey watched Gibson and Sprx-77 tuck in Chiro in his own bed. The instant the boy was in it he gave a small audible sigh and tried to snuggle even more in his comforter. He watched the smiles upon his brothers' faces while they tried to help their leader get as comfortable as possible. Antauri continued to stare as he witnessed their hands brushing his hair or stroking his cheek here or there.

"….I can't believe he's back," Gibson said softly while gazing upon his leader's sleeping face.

"I know what you mean," Sprx responded as he laid his hand upon the boy's head, stroking the hair softly.

Antauri and Nova walked up to the bed next to their two siblings, gazing gently down upon the boy that they cherished dearly.

"Will he be alright?" Nova asked quietly.

"I believe so. It will take some time but his body will fix itself up," Gibson answered.

"No, that's not what I mean," Nova began, "What I meant was will he be alright emotionally? I know his body will get better but will he in his mind? He has been through so much in the past three weeks that I don't know how much damage his mind has taken, and after seeing him what happened earlier…."

Antauri did not miss his sister trailing at the end. He too thought about the consequences of such traumas in the child's life that he didn't know if Chiro would heal properly.

"_But it is possible. He just needs guidance,"_ the silver monkey thought.

"Unfortunately, we won't know until he wakes up again," Antauri stated." He might not be so scarred but after what I experienced and seeing how he looks, there is no doubt in my mind that his spiritual self is damaged from the extensive torture it took."

"What exactly are we looking at then, Antauri?" Sprx asked

"I…I don't know," the sterling monkey answered truthfully.

Silence glazed over the team while watching their leader's chest rise up and down in a perfect pattern. It was comforting for Antauri to see this because it made him focus on something other than his siblings' sad auras coming off of them. His answer, he knew, didn't seem to make them as happy as they hoped. Heck, he wished he _did_ have a better answer but saying something false wasn't going to fix the problem.

"I think the best course of action right now is to look up some information about it, maybe even review some case files," Gibson said breaking the silence.

"How are we supposed to find information on something that we aren't so exactly sure about?" Nova asked.

"We might not know the whole connections to the problem right now but we do have pieces that we can start on to get information on."

"What…what are they?" Sprx asked.

"Well, we're going to have to look up about rape, kidnapping. We also need to see how a male is raped by another male and not a woman can affect Chiro in life."

Sprx nodded slowly at this before making his hand leave the boy's head.

"I guess we should start it then, especially with Chiro being knocked out right now," the red monkey announced.

"I believe that is the best approach we have right now," Antauri said, "You three go on and find all the information you can on the subjects. I'll stay here and watch Chiro in the time being."

"Antauri, are you sure? You're pretty beat up yourself and need some rest," Nova explained to her older brother.

"I will get my rest, do not fret over it. I just need to stay with Chiro right now. Besides," Antauri said, "I promised him I would be here when he wakes up."

"I do have to agree with Nova here, Antauri, "Gibson put in, "You haven't had enough rest for your body, which can do more damage than good for you."

"The risks I take are from my own decisions. I understand completely what will happen if I do not rest my body completely, but like I said before, I made a promise to Chiro and I plan on not breaking it any time soon."

Antauri's response made his three siblings look at each other before looking towards their second-in-command. They knew that once he made up his mind he wasn't going to back down from it or let anyone change his mind either.

"Fine…" Gibson sighed, "But you have to promise me that once Chiro has woken up you need to go back into the med bay and finish your healing process in one of the glass tubes, no matter what."

"I promise."

"Good," Gibson said, "Nova and Sprx, let's go and try to find any information we can that can help us."

The two monkeys nodded before following the blue monkey out of Chiro's room, leaving the silver monkey and his leader alone.

Antauri came closer to Chiro until he was near the boy's head. He brought his hand up and placed it upon his leader's head to begin to stroke his hair.

_"Because… you don't know how to help him…."_

The silver monkey remembered his mind's taunting to his question earlier on how he couldn't go towards Chiro. Thinking about the weak moment made Antauri think that his mind was right to some degree yet he felt stupid for feeling that way for that one second.

"Just because I don't know how to help him," Antauri said out loud quietly, "doesn't mean I won't try. I know it will take time but I don't care. I love him, and I will do anything for him."

_"Will 'love' really help, Antauri?"_ His mind questioned him from some doubt.

Antauri didn't mind his thoughts challenging him with this since he made himself long ago have thoughts that would question his theories in case he missed something.

"If it didn't, then I know Chiro would be dead right now instead of being alive."

His mind stayed silent after hearing this answer, which made Antauri smile from knowing that he had the answer all along that will help the boy in front of him.

"Love… love has kept you alive… my son."

Antauri whispered the last part, not knowing if he should really be saying it but he couldn't help it, it felt so right to say the word. His smile did falter a little after a realization came to him.

"But you will never know that, will you? I can never tell you since I doubt you think of me as your father," Antauri whispered, "… but you know, if you don't need me as a father, then I'm okay with that. As long as you know I love you, I can live happily with my life."

He bent down and placed a soft kiss on top of Chiro's forehead.

"Rest now, Chiro. I will be here by your side when you wake up."

* * *

Chiro groggily opened his eyes. His eye sight was a little fuzzy for him while he tried his best to focus on the objects around him. It took him a moment to get his eye sight back to normal after closing and opening his eyelids a couple of times. When he finally did, Chiro found himself staring up at a metal ceiling, not a worn down, wooden ceiling.

Confused, he was about to sit up when he felt his hands touching something soft, then saw that his entire body was lying in a bed, _his_ bed.

_"Am I dreaming?"_ Chiro thought as he laid there for a moment, getting use to the feel of a pillow under his head. _"Am I really in my bed?"_

This time, the young teen slowly brought himself up to a sitting position. He was about to gasp out loud from the sudden pain in his chest but covered his mouth instead, hoping that if this wasn't real but a hallucination then he wouldn't be hurt any time soon.

Chiro brought his hand down after taking a deep breath in to calm himself down. After doing so, his gaze glanced down at his arms. There were still red lines on him and white scars, even brusies, but he did notice how the lines were fading from his skin. He looked down to his chest, noting the purple and black hues that decorated but also seeing stitches in his skin. Chiro slowly brought the blanket up and saw that he wasn't wearing any pants, which indicated that he was naked. His legs he saw were a lot like his chest but he didn't feel any pain from them. Then again, he wasn't moving them.

Chiro put the blanket down, not knowing if he was dreaming or hallucinating or if this was real.

He heard movement by him and nearly jumped out of his skins when he turned his head to the source. What he saw made him freeze.

There, sitting in a chair right next to his bed was Antauri. The silver monkey was sleeping upright; his head slightly tilt to the side. Chiro just stared at the monkey, wondering if the being before him was real or not.

The boy took notice to Antauri's form, seeing the damage on the body: the silver monkey's head contained a dent on the side while his abdomen had a couple of slashes on it. Other than that, the monkey looked fine.

It was surreal for Chiro to stare at the person in front of him. He tried to think back and wonder if the events at the lake were real or not, if the fighting with arms and hearing Antauri's voice was real, and still continued to wonder if what was happening right now was real.

Chiro had to know.

Shakily, he made his hand go towards Antauri, reaching towards the other's face.

_"Is it you?"_ the boy thought. _"Are you really there? Or… is this another trick from my mind?"_

It wasn't the first time his mind made him hallucinate during the day. Sometimes, Chiro would wonder if it was from the lack of food and water or his continue want for freedom that his mind would make him conjure up visions of people from his past or his teammates; Antauri was seen a lot in his hallucinations besides his-

Antauri sighed a little before shifting his body a bit to make him more comfortable.

Chiro froze his hand suddenly from the movement.

"Why am I scared?" He asked quietly, hoping his voice wouldn't disturb the person sitting in front of him. "If it's really him, why do I feel afraid?"

_"Because that would be hopeful, wouldn't it?"_ his mind answered him.

What his mind said was true to the young boy. It wouldn't be the first time he had reached out to someone and found his hand gone right through them before disappearing all together. It tore at Chiro every time, believing that maybe he was rescued finally only to find out once more that his mind had played a trick on him.

_"But what if it is real? I've never hallucinated about my room before," _Chiro thought.

_"Go ahead,"_ his mind responded, _"Break your little heart again with hope."_

"Stop it," he whispered.

_"Or what? You know he's not real, so why even bother?"_

"Because I need to know," Chiro whispered and forced his hand to touch the other's cheek.

He almost cried out loud.

Chiro's finger tips pressed gently upon the other's cheek; it felt cool to the touch. He began to trace his tips over Antauri's cheek, his mind memorizing once again the other's "skin". It felt so unreal to him. Here was the person he had prayed for every day to save him, and now he sat in front of Chiro, sleeping.

Chiro moved his fingers to trace the rest of the silver monkey's face. His fingers began to shake slightly from intense emotions that were beginning to overwhelm him from the fact that right now, he was in his room; he was in his bed; he was with Antauri; and above all, he was alive.

Chiro couldn't control himself any longer and began to cry. His shaking hand dropped to his side once more as his body began to shake from his emotional crying. He closed his eyes as his sobs got louder with his tears falling freely down his cheeks, hitting his bed sheet to form a wet spot.

He didn't realize that he had woken Antauri up from his slumber, nor did he witness the silver monkey's concern look on his face. Instead he felt, after a few minutes of his tears, a hand upon his bruised back, gently rubbing it in circles to calm his crying fit.

Chiro opened his eyes while trying his best to control his sobbing, seeing Antauri staring at him with a small smile upon his face. The boy couldn't give him one back as his crying continued its torment on him.

"It's okay," Antauri said while continuing the back rub, "You're safe now."

Chiro sniffed a couple of times while continuing his sobbing. His shaking got a little better but not by much.

"Why are you crying, Chiro? Are you in pain?" Antauri asked, deciding to stop rubbing the other's back so he wouldn't hurt the boy by accident.

Chiro shook his head side to side to answer the silver monkey.

"N-N-No," Chiro choked out. "It's n-n-n-ot tha-that."

Antauri was going to ask what he could do to help his leader but Chiro spoke once more.

"Ar-ar-are you re-al?

The silver monkey gave him a quizzical look before smiling softly at him.

"Yes Chiro, I am. I'm as real as you."

Before Antauri could do anything, Chiro lunged from his bed, knocking both him and Antauri to the ground. Antauri didn't know what was going on until he realized that Chiro was hugging him as tightly as he could while crying on his shoulder.

Chiro was kneeling on the ground while holding the silver monkey close to his body.

Antauri circled his arms around the boy, bringing him as close as he could to his body if it was possible. He rubbed Chiro's back a little and stroked the child's hair while keeping silent the whole time.

"…. I had to know," Chiro whispered after relaxing from his crying ordeal that had taken a good whole five minutes.

"Had to know what?" Antauri asked curiously.

"That this was real and not a hallucination again."

Antauri hugged Chiro even tighter.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner," the silver monkey whispered. "I tried so _hard_ to find you. I never rested while you were gone, and now that you're back, safe within my arms, I promise that I won't let anything bad happen to you again. I'll help you get through this Chiro, the monkey team and I will help you the best we can."

Chiro sniffed a couple of times

"...Thank you for saving me, Antauri. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

Antauri closed his eyes for a moment, controlling himself to not start crying, before opening them back up, saying:

"No Chiro, thank you for staying in my life."

Chiro began to cry again from the words that left Antauri's lips. The young boy didn't know that someone could care so much for him; to show so much love in only a few words.

Antauri continued rubbing the child's back while whispering comforting words to didn't care. All he cared about was keeping this person in his arms safe from any danger.

When they finally let go of each other, Antauri took one good look at Chiro before saying,

"Do you want me to get you your pajamas?"

Chiro looked down at his own body and forgot that he was naked.

"Ummm…. Yes, please."

Antauri smiled at the small response from his leader. He got up from the ground to walk towards the drawers that contained Chiro's clothes. The teen stared at his friend in silence while sitting on the cold tile. The silver monkey opened one of the drawers and pulled out the boy's blue pajamas and some boxers. Carrying them in his arms, Antauri walked over to his leader.

"Here," Antauri offered to the sitting child. Chiro took his clothes slowly and stared at it for a moment, almost in a daze. Slowly, his hand grazed the material of his favorite pajamas.

_"Or at least I think they still are,"_ Chiro thought.

"Do you need help?" Antauri asked while eyeing the child's movements.

Chiro took his gaze away from the clothes that he fingered tenderly to the silver monkey. The teen stared in those bright blue eyes, eyes that resembled so much like a body of water, preferably the ocean. Thinking of the ocean made him think of the water he found mesmirizing with his reflection but soon regretted it as he was attacked with arms and _him_.

Chiro shivered at the thought, trying his best to forget, but it was becoming hard for him as his mind conjured up the image once again of the man who took his innocence away from him. Unknown to the teen, his body began to shake as his mind toremented him of the images.

"Chiro, what's wrong?" Antauri asked as he quickly wrapped his arms around the child. The silver monkey stroked the boy's hair while doing his best to comfort him. It took a minute or so to help the boy relax.

"Sorry," Chiro apologized through the hold, "I... just remembered... something."

"You don't have to say sorry, Chiro."

"But... I feel like I have to."

"But you don't need to," Antauri said warmly as he turned the child to face him, giving the boy a smile. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Chiro analyzed the words in his mind, trying to decipher the meaning as it gave him the strange feeling of de javu. "I don't need to apologize?"

"No Chiro," Antauri softly said. "What you experience with memories... will be difficult but I am here to help you. I will try my best to make sure you are okay, so what you just remembered isn't your fault. People... can't get rid of memories. Sometimes there are memories that fade from our minds for we do not think of them significant but we can't just tell ourselves to forget them."

Chiro listened carefully to the words that were spoken to him, but after hearing them, he didn't know if he like it or not.

"And what if I try to forget?"

Chiro's voice held a serious tone as he let his question be heard.

Antauri considered the child's words carefully before responding.

"Chiro, sometimes all we want to do is forget a memory we do not want, and maybe certain memories will fade in time, but there are some they may not go away. If they are good memories, then that is great, if they are bad memories, then… the best thing to do is to live with them. If you fear them, then they will only hold you back in life. If you don't fear them, you will be stronger than ever."

"Do you really mean that?" Chiro asked in a small voice.

"Of course I do," Antauri answered with a genuine smile.

Chiro's blue eyes had a little twinkle in them while his mouth twitched at having a smile.

"Okay," Chiro could only say. He looked down at his clothes again. "I think… right now I need some help with putting these on. My body… it still hurts."

Antauri nodded before taking the shirt and beginning to help the boy get in it. Once that was done, he helped him in his pants.

Now clothed, Chiro examined himself before letting out an audible sigh, revealing to Antauri that the raven-haired child was very happy being in his clothes again.

Chiro brought his eyes up to meet with Antauri's and he couldn't help himself in doing what he did next. Scooting closer to the silver monkey, Chiro wrapped his arms around him and brought him close to his body. Antauri was a little surprise at the action, but was happy nonetheless with it and gladly returned it.

"Thank you," Chiro whispered.

"You're welcome," Antauri answered back.

Antauri and Chiro were both lost in their little embrace until a cough was heard from someone in the room.

"…. Are we interrupting something here?"

Antauri let go of Chiro and both he and Chiro turned to see the other four team members smiling at them from the doorway.

"Well, that depends, Gibson," Antauri began, "did it look like you interrupted something?"

"Hmmm…. Yes."

"Well," Antauri said while smiling back, "then you got your answer."

"CHIRO!" Otto yelled out excitedly before running up to the boy and bringing him into a hug. "Oh Chiro, I thought I would never see you again! I missed you so much!"

Chiro squeezed back in the hug to the green monkey.

"I missed you too…" Chiro said quietly. He brought his eyes to look up toward the other three: Gibson, Nova, and Sprx 77. "I missed _all_ of you."

Like an invitation, the other three came to Chiro and hugged him as well, some trying not to cry while others (mainly Otto) let their tears fall.

Antauri watched from a far, a smile tracing on his lips as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him. He knew how much his siblings had missed their leader, and just watching them hugging him, made something inside him feel warm and blissful.

And seeing how happy everyone was, including Chiro, Antauri knew that everyone will overcome this event in their lives.

They just need a little time and a lot of love.

* * *

I hope everyone enjoyed this overdue chapter. I know how to end the story, but it'll be a few more chapters and I want to make it perfect for all my readers. Like I said, it's hard to finish when the inspiration is gone, but I am going to finish to the end just for you guys. Wish me luck in the next chapter. I will try my hardest to update it.

Sorry for not updating so long ago. :(


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